For Love's Sake
by HiKari Mokuba's Guardian
Summary: There were things that Seto Kaiba felt he knew for sure. One was that he loved his brother, another was that he loved his company. Seto believed nothing else could ever come into his life to change that. What Seto didn't know was that he hadn't met her.
1. I

_This is a story of boy meets girl. The boy, Seto Kaiba of Domino City, Japan, grew up believing he never needed anyone to be truly happy except his younger brother, Mokuba, and his gaming company, Kaiba Corporation. This belief stemmed from harsh abuse and the fact that his step father had managed to instill every ounce of his cold and emotionless being into him. The girl, Kisara Safiya of Cairo, Egypt, did not share this belief. Since the disintegration of the only relationship she had ever had in the past, she'd only love two things. The first was her long, white hair. The second was how easily she could cut it off and not feel a thing. Seto meets Kisara on September 8__th__. He knows almost immediately that she is different from every other person he has ever had the displeasure of dealing with. This is a story of boy meets girl, but you should know upfront, this is not a love story… it's a true love story._

**I**

He was nervous... frightened, even. He wasn't sure why. It couldn't have been that he was scared… right? He didn't scare easily. He didn't show many emotions… easily. Just as that thought had crossed his mind, he realized exactly why he was nervous. He was afraid of showing his emotions. In a place like this, however… that was what he was supposed to do. He began having second thoughts about coming here… again. At this point they were no longer second thoughts, they were fifth thoughts. He didn't want to be here.

The documents in his hand were signed with the name Seto Kaiba. That's right, _thee_ Seto Kaiba. His straight brown hair had been combed to perfection and his icy blue eyes were colder than usual. With one leg crossed over the other, he refrained from the nervous tapping that the people around him had submitted themselves to doing for the entire time he had been sitting there. It had annoyed the living hell out of him, but he had too much on his mind to notice considering he had his own nervousness to deal with.

"Nii-sama, are you alright?" Sitting beside Seto was a fifteen year old boy with messy black hair, staring up at him with light gray eyes. Upon hearing the name the boy had called him ever since they were children, he was able to smile and lie through his teeth.

"Of course I am, Mokuba." Mokuba frowned.

"I can tell when you're lying to me, Nii-sama, I'm not dumb." Now Seto was the one to frown.

"What did you expect me to say? That I'm happy to be here?"

"You could say that you appreciate my help."

"This is not going to help." Mokuba ran his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Not this again… I thought you promised to stop fighting me every step of the way."

"I thought you said this was going to help."

"This IS going to help." The phone rang and the secretary answered it, causing the boys' senseless bickering to stop. The entire waiting room became quiet with suspense as every person, including Seto and Mokuba, looked up towards the secretary at the front desk. After a few moments she had nodded her head and hung up the phone. She stood up from the desk.

"Seto Kaiba?" Mokuba turned Seto's way to see what he would do. Seto stood up.

"That's me."

"Mr. Tetsuya is ready to see you. He's in the second room on the left." Seto nodded with understanding and moved forward towards the hallway. He didn't say anything to Mokuba when he left. There was nothing to say… Seto was going to go through with it, despite how much he wanted to gag at the very idea. He walked through the hallway and when he reached the second room to his left, he entered, finding a familiar man, sitting in an armchair on the opposite side of the room.

"Good afternoon Seto, please take a seat." There was a couch near the door. Seto sat down on it and sighed. "How are you?" Mr. Tetsuya asked. Seto, however, wasn't interested in small talk.

"Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we?" Seto noted the notepad in Mr. Tetsuya's folded hands and felt another urge to leave the room.

"You certainly are a business man. Mokuba gave me a few pointers on dealing with that."

"This is a therapy session, not a case study. Please stop talking to me like I'm a patient." Mr. Tetsuya leaned back in his chair and crossed his legs.

"I'm glad to finally have a chance to sit down with you, Seto. Many have been trying to get you to come to therapy for years now…" Mr. Tetsuya paused for a moment, "Which begs the question of what brought you here in the first place."

"Yeah, well, it was my only option," Seto spat, crossing his arms, "There was nothing else I could do to deal with it." Mr. Tetsuya was intrigued and as a result, flipped open his notepad. Seto was suddenly feeling nervous again, he wanted to back out but… that was the last thing he could do. He had meant what he said; there was no other way of dealing with the issue at hand.

"Deal with what, exactly?" Seto gulped. Words were supposed to come out now… an explanation. He had to do it.

"There's this… girl that I'm… sort of involved with… or was involved with."

"Does this girl happen to be an apple of your eye, in a sense?"

"She's much more important than that," Seto snapped, "She was… she was…" Seto suddenly didn't know how to explain what she was to him… he was at a loss of words. Again, the nervousness came.

"Yes?"

"I can't tell you this without telling you the whole story… about us."

"Go right ahead then. When did you first start going out?" Mr. Tetsuya clicked his pen and prepared to write down some notes. Seto shook his head.

"No, I have to start earlier than that… I have to start in the very beginning, two years ago… on September 8th… that was the day I first saw her."

* * *

It was worse than just any other day in school. It was a Wednesday. And although school had only just begun two weeks ago, Seto hated every aspect of it. He especially hated that he had to endure one more year of it before he graduated in June… going to high school, hadn't even been his idea, it was Mokuba's. Mokuba felt it would be good to have a high school diploma even though he was a child prodigy… not to mention Mokuba had hoped Seto would benefit from the human interaction. So far, he had only suffered from the annoyance of it.

As Seto sat there, blankly staring at the front of the classroom and barely listening to any of the teacher's lecture, he was completely unaware that this wasn't just another Wednesday. There was something different about this Wednesday, something that would change his life forever. Sitting there dreading every moment he was sitting in his seat, Seto couldn't have predicted that his life was about to change in the next thirty seconds.

"Now what can any of you point out about the characterization of…" the teacher trailed off when she heard a knock on the door, "Pardon me students, we appear to have a guest. Come in!" The door opened and Seto was hardly paying attention. He was still locked in a daydream as he stared at the black board in the front of the classroom.

"Is this… um… Ms. Yuki's English class, room 207?"

"Why yes it is. You wouldn't happen to be the new transfer student, would you?"

"That's me, sorry I'm late." Everyone in the classroom had turned their heads towards the door with curiosity. The stranger had not stepped into the room yet so the only thing the students knew was that the new student was a girl by the sound of her voice.

"It's a pleasure to have you! Come on in, introduce yourself to the class!" The sudden peaked interest of Seto's classmates caused Seto to snap out of his daydream and actually pay attention. A girl proceeded to walk into the room. She was tall with long white hair and dark blue eyes. The males in the room could not hide their attraction to the girl standing in front of him. Usually Seto would've laughed quietly to himself over their gawking but he found that he could not stop staring either. There was something about her that made her seem… different.

"Um… hello…" the girl said taking a deep breath, "My name is Kisara Safiya." The teacher was intrigued.

"Your name and accent sound foreign. What country are you originally from?"

"Egypt." Now even the girls in the room were interested in Kisara.

"That's fascinating! How fun! And what made you decide to come to Japan?"

"My uncle… he's not feeling very well and I came to take care of him." The woman in the room became sympathetic which was a very different tune than what it was when Kisara first walked into the room… which was jealousy. Never the less, the men continued to gawk and Seto continued to be… intrigued.

"I'm so sorry to hear that. I hope he gets better. Unfortunately, we need to get back to the lesson so why don't you take a seat over there?" There was only one seat that wasn't taken in the whole classroom and that was the one in front of Seto. Seto realized this quickly and looked down before he could make eye contact with Kisara's face. Seto felt increasingly awkward as he pretended to be looking down at his textbook as Kisara walked towards him. He hoped she hadn't noticed the quizzical look he had been giving her since she had stepped into the classroom. She sat down without saying a word. Seto thought he was in the clear… until she turned around.

"What page are we on?" Seto completely froze. What was he supposed to say? He had only just flipped open his book moments ago without any regard to what they were actually going over in class. He knew he had to say something, however… Just as he opened his mouth, the girl sitting next to her tapped Kisara on the shoulder.

"We're on page 456."

"Oh, thank you." Kisara turned back towards the front. The teacher had already gone back to her lecture and the excitement of a few seconds ago had left the class as they began to focus on the lesson. The strange feelings Seto felt did not go away, though. No, they stayed with him for the next forty-five minutes and even after that. Suddenly the whole school day had gone by, the bell rang to release them and Seto could not shake Kisara's face from his mind even though they only shared one class together. What was going on with him?

There wasn't any time to evaluate himself, however, which Seto was glad because he had his younger brother to pick up from school. A lot of work would do him a world of good and Seto was happy about that because today was going to be pretty busy. Seto hadn't any time to lose as he got into his car and began to drive towards Domino Middle School.

The drive didn't take long since the school was close by car, so soon enough he was parked in front of the school where his brother was waiting for him. Mokuba smiled upon seeing his brother pull up, grabbing his backpack and getting into the car.

"Hey Nii-sama, how was your day?" Mokuba asked with his typical, bubbly smile on his face. The kid was always happy to see his elder brother.

"My day was fine, how about yours?" Seto asked, switching the car into drive and taking off. Mokuba cocked his head to the side.

"Did something happen today?"

"Wait, what? What led you to believe something happened today?" Seto asked, surprised.

"Because you said your day was fine. You always say your day is 'okay' and you always say it in such a way that makes it sound like it was the worst day ever. So come on, Nii-sama, spit it out. What happened?"

"Nothing happened. School was just… different today." Mokuba was suddenly interested.

"How was school different? Did you actually learn something you found useful?"

"Of course not, it was… something else," Mokuba was insanely curious about Seto's responses, but he wouldn't show it nor would he pry his brother about it. Mokuba knew that eventually he would be able to figure out exactly what was going on with Seto soon enough, "It doesn't matter, right now we need to hurry and get to Kaiba Corp. There's an intern I'm interviewing in an hour and I need to brush up on my 'we don't take interns' speech so I can let the person down easy."

"But you never let anyone down easy." Seto rolled his eyes.

"As easy as dumb people deserve to be let down." Mokuba fell quiet with nothing more to add the conversation and started looking out the window. A familiar building came into sight as they were only a few blocks away from their destination, Kaiba Corp. head quarters. Kaiba Corp. was the tallest building in all of Domino City. This was fitting for the CEO considering the fact that Seto practically ran the city and everyone who lived in Domino knew it.

When Seto reached the front entrance, he was immediately let in and parked in his reserved parking space, both the brothers got out of the car simultaneously. "Do you want some money to get something from the break room or are you okay?"

"I'm okay, thanks though," Mokuba replied, following Seto into the building.

"Are you going to hang in the break room anyway while I do the interview? I'm sure it'll bore you."

"No, I'll go with you. I want to make sure you're not too mean to the person trying to intern."

"Mokuba, what have I told you about monitoring me?"

"Nii-sama, there's nothing wrong with having someone there to make sure you don't cross the line. You tend to do that when you're annoyed." Seto sighed. There was no use arguing, Mokuba was and would always be the advocate for the little guy in whatever situation. That was just his personality.

"Fine, but please try and resist the temptation to intervene as much as you can, okay?" Seto looked down at his watch and began to sprint, "We better hurry or we're going to be late." The two Kaiba brothers caught the elevator just before it was about to go up. They waited for a minute or two for the elevator to reach the top of the building. When it did, they sprinted down the hall and towards Seto's office, which was right on the corner of the top floor. Seto slowed down before he got to the door, straightening his shirt and tie before walking in.

"I apologize for being a minute and thirty seconds late, I trust you found your way to my office alright." Seto didn't even look at the person sitting in the chair across from his desk until he sat down. The moment he did, the individual sitting opposite to him stood up and walked over to shake his hand.

"I had no problems finding your office, finding your assistant to be very helpful in that regard. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to skip the pleasantries and get right to the point. My name is Kisara Safiya and I'd like to be an intern at your company." Just when Seto thought he could distract himself from Kisara's face, there she was standing right in front of him, offering to shake his hand.

"It's, uh, very nice to meet you, Ms. Safiya," Seto said awkwardly, shaking Kisara's hand. As if his day wasn't already strange enough… Seto didn't know what to do except remain sitting and keep his cool, which wouldn't be too hard, considering that was what Seto was best at; keeping his cool.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey everyone! How was not hearing from me in over a month? BORING? Well, this past month has been glorious for me! I kind of liked the free flow of writing I've been doing during this break from writing but I will say I do miss hearing feedback from you guys every once and a while and always thinking about what's going to happen next in my story. I already have about three chapters of this story written and be warned, this story is going to be very different from anything you've read in the past. I won't tell you what they are, I'll just let you read the story and find out. I hope you liked what you read so far and thanks for taking a glance at it!_

_P.S: The intro at the beginning was based off of the intro to the movie, "(500) Days of Summer" but this story will not be anything like that movie so if you think you know what's going to happen… you're dead wrong. Enjoy!_


	2. II

"_I have never known the likes of this,_

_I've been alone._

_And I have missed things and kept out of sight,_

_But other girls were never quite like this."_

I've Just Seen a Face by The Beatles

**II**

The way Seto was looking at her was strange but the way Kisara was looking back at him was even stranger. While Seto was not physically showing any shock in his face, Mokuba could see it in his eyes. Kisara, on the other hand, was completely unaware of this and was staring at him like the powerful business man that he was. Mokuba had concealed himself from sight, choosing to hide behind the other side of the couch that was near Seto's desk. He just had to see what was going to happen next, it was clear things were going to go differently with this potential intern than all the others who had come in before.

"I took the liberty of printing out a copy of my résumé for you even though your secretary told me specifically not to bring one. I thought it was a bit strange to tell someone applying for an internship not to do something like that, so I decided to go against her orders. You are free to review it whenever you please but I also thought you might be interested in hearing a run down of my experience in business, since I know you are a very busy man and may not have the time of day to sit down and read my résumé."

Seto was so dumbfounded he didn't know what to say. Was this really happening right now? The girl he had just seen only a couple hours earlier was now sitting in front of him, hoping for an internship Seto had prepared not to give to her. What else was he to do except sit there quietly and listen to what she had to say?

"The first thing you will probably notice is that there isn't a lot about my job experiences, at least not ones that a powerful company like yours would recognize. The reason for this is because I'm seventeen years old and I know that probably seems really young to you, but I'm going to be turning eighteen in the winter and graduating high school in the spring. I am very mature for my age and determined like you wouldn't believe so I would be willing to do absolutely anything to get this internship."

Kisara had paused for a moment. It was clear she had more she wanted to say but something had made her stop. Seto was curious in hearing more but the seriousness in her voice suddenly left her when she asked, "Pardon me, but do I know you?" Seto straightened in his seat as he had no idea what to say in response to that, suddenly feeling awkward. Mokuba, on the other hand, was overwhelmed with his interest in seeing more.

Kisara leaned forward in her chair, "Wait, I do know you, don't I? You're the guy who sits behind me in my English class… which means…" Kisara's eyes went wide as she stood up. "This is extremely awkward. I better go." Kisara quickly snatched back her résumé from Seto's hands and left his office in a sprint. Seto was still frozen sitting in his seat. Again, all he could ask was; what had just happened? Mokuba got up from hiding behind the couch and looked at Seto.

"You know that girl?" Seto snapped back to reality.

"Um… yes." Mokuba looked towards the door.

"Who is she?"

"She's a new transfer student." Mokuba looked back at Seto.

"You like her."

"Oh please, I don't think I even know what it means to 'like' another person. I love you as a brother, and that's about all I know." Seto looked down at his desk and started organizing the papers on top of it. He had hoped that Mokuba would accept Seto's silence as a signal that their conversation about Kisara was over, but Mokuba wasn't one to let go that easily. He walked over to Seto's desk when he finished.

"So I think it's cute that you have a crush. When are you going to ask her out?"

"Mokuba, I do not have a crush and I don't plan to ask her out."

"Okay, so you're in denial and that's fine. You couldn't ask her out right now anyway… she did just run out of your office after realizing she knew you." Seto knew the only way to get Mokuba off his case was to go along and agree with whatever Mokuba was saying. This could sometimes prove to be a hard task when Mokuba became excited about certain things Seto saw no importance in, but he had known Mokuba all his life, so he had become good at it.

"Fine Mokuba… I'm in denial."

"I knew it! Don't worry Nii-sama. I'll help you get the girl!" Mokuba exclaimed, "But first, you have to get her to notice you… you know, besides the way she did today."

"And how do I do that?" Seto asked, pretending to take Mokuba's advice into consideration.

"Well, think about it, what do people like about you?"

"Nothing."

"Wrong! They like me."

"Huh?"

"You're a good big brother and people love that about you. It's… probably the only thing they love." Seto opened his laptop and turned it on.

"Then I guess what you're saying is that I should present you on a silver platter to her, show her a DNA test that we're related, and then she'll instantly fall in love with me? That's genius!" Seto said in a sarcastic tone, "By the way, have you forgotten that I have and will never be interested in having a relationship? I'm romantically interested in her in any way."

When Seto's laptop had been fully booted up, he began opening documents and starting to work as he usually did. Mokuba started fiddling around with the cup of pens on Seto's desk. Mokuba knew his brother wanted to be left alone but Mokuba couldn't stop himself from continuing the conversation they were having.

"Don't you want to have a girlfriend at some point, though? Don't you see yourself married some day in the future?" Seto stopped working and sighed.

"I thought we'd been over this before; I want all of that for you, not for me. It wouldn't work… I wouldn't work. You're the only person I see myself still caring about in the future and I'm okay with that." Seto turned towards Mokuba to see his reaction. Mokuba's expression was filled with sadness and guilt although he wasn't looking directly at Seto's face. His hands had even stopped playing with the pens on Seto's desk.

"Now, now Mokuba… it's okay…" Mokuba looked up at Seto.

"But I want you to be happy, Nii-sama! I don't want you to be alone for the rest of your life… just saying that makes me depressed." Seto opened his arms and coaxed Mokuba into a hug. Mokuba walked forward and let himself sink into the comforting arms of his older brother. It didn't make sense to Mokuba that he was the one being comforted while they were talking about the depressing future that lied ahead for Seto. And yet, that was what always happened.

When their father had died, it was Seto who had told Mokuba it was going to be okay, not the other way around. Mokuba hadn't even seen his brother cry at their father's funeral. When they were living in the orphanage and life was looking grim, it was Seto who held Mokuba and rocked him to sleep. When Gozaburo adopted them and made their life hell, more on Seto's end than Mokuba's, it was Seto who promised Mokuba there would be a day where Gozaburo would be gone and they could be happy again.

Seto internalized and dealt with every ordeal they had ever faced over the course of his life all on his own. Never once had he turned to Mokuba for comfort. This occurrence was no different but this time around, it didn't seem right to Mokuba. Mokuba pulled himself out of Seto's arms. "I'll let you get back to doing your work," Mokuba said as he headed towards the door.

"Mokuba, hold on." Mokuba stopped and turned around. "I know it saddens you to think that I will never have someone in my life but I want to assure you that I'm okay with that happening. I've always known I wasn't meant to live a normal life like everyone else and so far that's the way it has been, and that's something I've never regretted. The fact that I have you in my life is what brings me real joy, so I don't want you worrying about my happiness. Can you do that for me?" Mokuba slowly nodded.

"Good. Make sure to keep your cell phone on and I'll call you when I'm ready to head back home. I shouldn't be too long today." Mokuba walked out of the office and closed the door. As he walked through the busy hallway, he stared down at his feet with his hands shoved in his pockets. His brother had told him not to worry but that was the last thing that was going to happen.

Mokuba loved Seto more than anything in the world and he only said he was happy without someone in his life because he had never experienced it before. If things continued the way they were, with Seto having no interest in women at all, he was going to be doomed to a lonely life with no one to talk to and to share life with. Mokuba didn't want that for his brother and it seemed Kisara was Seto's only shot at things ending differently. As Mokuba entered the elevator to go down to the break room and the doors closed, a brilliant idea dawned on him.

Mokuba spent the whole rest of the afternoon working out a plan in his head of how he was going to get Seto and Kisara together. It was going to be a long shot, as all plans relating to Seto were, but if done correctly, it just might work. If Seto wasn't going to make the effort, Mokuba was going to have to do it for him, whether Seto knew about it or not. The plan was dubbed 'Operation: Get the Girl,' and Mokuba planned for it to be put into motion the very next day.

* * *

Domino Middle School got out exactly twenty minutes earlier than Domino High did. This was a known fact amongst most students who went to either of the schools. That fact was the reason why Mokuba had broken into a run the moment class was let out to get to Domino High before class had ended rather than wait outside of his school as he was supposed to. After a while, he began to feel the effects of having low endurance as he did, but he didn't let that slow him down one bit. It made every difference that he was there on time or else Operation: Get the Girl had the potential of falling through. That was something Mokuba was not willing to risk.

When Mokuba finally made it to the school, he had nearly collapsed onto the front steps near the front entrance, completely out of breath. He sat down and allowed himself to get a breather. Pulling up his sleeve, he looked down at his watch and noticed that he had made it with three minutes to spare before the high school was let out. Mokuba would've given himself a pat on the back but he was way too tired to do so. Instead, he let himself relax and wait for the bell to ring.

Just as the clock struck three o'clock, the bell rang and shuffling feet could be heard all through-out the school. Mokuba immediately got to his feet and moved away from the stairway as people began to pool out. He had to make sure he could see everyone who was coming out while also making sure he wasn't trampled in the process by people twice his size. His eyes scanned the growing crowd as people walked out of the school in pairs and groups, all talking and chit chatting with one another.

Mokuba smiled when he spotted a girl with long, white hair, walking by herself towards the end of the sidewalk. Mokuba pushed through the crowd just in time before she had disappeared. How he had stopped her from disappearing completely was by grabbing a hold of her sleeve and giving it a tug. Kisara quickly turned around.

"Who's there?" Kisara looked around and then looked down. Her expression softened when she realized that the boy who had grabbed her sleeve looked to be much younger than she was. "Oh, hi there, little boy… are you lost?" Kisara asked with sweetness in her voice. Mokuba could see why Seto fancied this girl… she was very beautiful indeed, even Mokuba could recognize it. He had to remember that he had a plan, though. Thus, he proceeded to put on the cutest little boy voice he was still able to pull out whenever he felt it necessary to have.

"Yes I am. I'm looking for my Nii-sama. I know he goes to this school but I can't find him," Mokuba's eyes got wide all of the sudden as he looked up to Kisara with desperation, "Will you please help me find him?" Kisara had her full attention on Mokuba, though she could see her bus leaving without her from the corner of her eye. She sighed and then smiled as she took Mokuba's hand into hers.

"Of course I'll help you find your big brother. What's his name?"

"Mokuba!" Kisara and Mokuba both turned around at the same time to find Seto running towards them. Seto hadn't even noticed Kisara was there… his attention was on Mokuba as he approached the two. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you to never wander off from school." Mokuba opened his mouth to explain himself but in doing so, he would be ruining his entire plan. This still left Mokuba with the problem that his brother was genuinely worried and upset that Mokuba had left school against Seto's orders. Mokuba tried to think of a response but thankfully Kisara was the one to speak up next.

"Is this your younger brother?" Kisara asked, feeling slightly uncomfortable considering their last encounter with one another which had only happened a day earlier. Seto turned towards her.

"Yes it—" Seto suddenly realized who he was talking to and paused for half a second before finishing, "is." Seto looked from Kisara to Mokuba. Mokuba was grinning as he stood behind Kisara and that was when Seto figured out this occurrence must've been a result of Mokuba's scheming. "Thank you for looking out for him for me, Kisara." Kisara took Mokuba's hand over to Seto's and let go.

"It was no problem at all. I guess I'll see you tomorrow in class then," Kisara said quickly as she turned away to leave. Mokuba let go of Seto's hand and nudged Seto in the side. Seto looked down at him with a look that said, 'there is no way I'm calling her back and the second we get home, we're going to have a talk.' Mokuba grinned again and ran forward.

"Wait up, Kisara!" Kisara turned around. Mokuba ran in front of her, "Can we offer you a ride home? It's the least we could do for what you did for us." Kisara was inclined to refuse immediately but walking fifteen miles didn't seem like a lot of fun either. She looked over at Seto and felt uncomfortable again… riding with him in a car home would only intensify these feelings and she knew it.

"No, it's probably best if I walk home… it's good for exercise anyway."

"Oh come on. Please let us take you home?" Mokuba's eyes got wide again and for some reason, his cuteness was multiplied whenever that happened. Kisara took a deep breath and sighed.

"Alright, fine. I'll ride home with you guys."

"Hooray!" Mokuba grabbed a hold of Kisara's hand once again, almost as if he were trying to make sure that Kisara wouldn't leave. Kisara had a feeling that there was something else behind Mokuba's actions but she wasn't in the mood for figuring them out. Instead, she decided to focus all of her energy on mentally preparing herself for the ride home with one of the most powerful men in all of Domino City, Seto Kaiba. If she could just survive this ride and change her entire school schedule that night, maybe just maybe, she would never have to see him again.

* * *

**A/N:** _It's me again, updating almost a week after my last post! I really do miss posting a chapter once a week on the same day but let's face it, Monday's are not exactly days anyone can be excited for. I only posted it on that day just because I wanted it to be published on Valentine's day (it being my big romance story and all) which I just realized I failed to mention in my last author's note. Oh well! Hope everyone had a good commercialism/candy day! Today's posting is significant as well because today is my birthday! Yes indeed, I am twenty years old today and it feels fantastic. Anyway, thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed the second chapter. As you can tell, review replies will no longer be written into chapters and chapters will now begin with lyrics that relate to the chapter. I've always wanted to do it and I've decided finally I will. Have a good day!_


	3. III

"_Why do you look so familiar?_

_I could swear that I have seen your face before._

_I think I like that you seem sincere._

_I think I'd like to get to know you a little bit more."_

Who Knows? by Avril Lavigne

**III**

It was hard to describe it… uncomfortable? Maybe, but Seto could tell there was much more to it than that by the way Kisara was sitting on the other side of the seat, unsure of how to respond to Mokuba's rambling. Mokuba must've caught on because after a while he quieted down. Seto speculated that it was probably the fact that she was in the car with him that was freaking her out. The fact that he was both her classmate and most likely the only person she had really interacted with since she had arrived in Japan two days ago. Now she was sitting in the back seat of his car, most likely wishing she could throw herself out of it as soon as possible. Seto didn't want to acknowledge it, but he was feeling the same way.

"So where are you from? Nii-sama mentioned you were a transfer student." Kisara turned to Mokuba.

"He told you about me?" Seto glared at Mokuba through the rear-view mirror. Things were becoming more and more uneasy by the second… but despite how she felt, Kisara also felt compelled to reply.

"I'm from Cairo, Egypt." Mokuba's eyes grew wide with interest.

"That's so cool! So do you know how to read hieroglyphs and stuff like that?" Kisara laughed. Suddenly the tension in the car was lifted a bit. Watching her through the rear-view mirror out of the corner of his eye while he drove, he could've sworn that was the first time he had seen her smile too. Her face continued to bewilder him.

"No, I don't know how to read hieroglyphs, but that is a common misconception." Mokuba was happy to see that Kisara was relaxing a bit, though he was disappointed he and Kisara were the only ones talking. Seto had remained silent the entire ride and while that was probably best, Mokuba's plan was supposed to result in Kisara and Seto getting to know each other better and potentially falling in love. He got over his disappointment quickly though, as he was curious to hear more about Kisara's story.

"So what made you decide to come to Japan?" There was a shift in Kisara's expression. It was only slightly, but Seto caught onto it immediately.

"I wanted to live with my father for a while. My parents are divorced and even though I love my mom, it's hard not being able to see my dad a lot. I figured I'd come over here to live with him, maybe make up for lost time and such."

"Oh, I see. I'm sorry your parents are divorced."

"It's okay. It's just the way things go sometimes." Seto had begun to slow the car as he looked at each apartment building they passed. He was trying to spot the specific one that Kisara lived in.

"We're close, right?" Seto asked.

"Yeah, it's that building on the corner." Seto drove up a bit further and then came to a stop. Kisara grabbed her things and got out of the car. "Well, thanks for the ride home. I really appreciated it." Kisara turned away to leave and hope to never see Seto again but… something made her turn back around and face him.

"Hey… Seto?"

"Uh… yes?"

"I'll see you tomorrow in English class." Seto nodded.

"See you then." Kisara closed the car door and walked up to her apartment building. Seto and Mokuba waited outside until she got out her keys and was able to go in, just to make sure she made it into the building okay. During that time, Mokuba got out from the back seat and moved up to the passenger seat in the front. The minute Kisara was inside, Seto was off.

"She seems nice. I like her," Mokuba turned Seto way to see his reaction. There was none. If anything, his face carried the expression of being disgruntled or uneasiness as he looked forward, driving the car home. "What's wrong? I like her. That means I approve of her for you."

"It's not that. Kisara is lying and it bothers me. When she first came into my class, she said she moved to Japan because of her sick uncle. Now she's saying it's because her parents are divorced and she's staying with her dad. Something isn't right."

"Whoa, that is weird. I still don't understand, though, why would she lie?"

"The only reason anyone ever lies, because she has something to hide." The fact that people lied because they had something to hide was plainly obvious to Mokuba but he still couldn't understand why his brother was so upset about it.

"Okay, so she's lying about why she's here. Why does it matter? Maybe she just doesn't want to tell the whole world about her life." Seto pulled into the driveway of the Kaiba Mansion and parked the car. He got out along with Mokuba.

"Because I can't trust people who have something to hide and the fact that she lied about why she's here leads me to believe she came here for me." Mokuba stopped walking towards the house and stared at his brother.

"Excuse me?" Seto turned around.

"Think about it Mokuba; she's lying about why she's here, she goes to my school, she tried to intern at my company… she's just another person trying to undermine my control of Kaiba Corp. by building a relationship with me." Seto pulled out his keys and unlocked the door, walking inside. Mokuba ran in after him.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, I think you're taking this way out of proportion. I was the one trying to get her to build a relationship with you! If you remember what happened yesterday, the moment she found out you were a classmate in her class, she ran out of your office like there was no tomorrow!"

"She must've known I would… something her, and she knew you would try and bring us together as a result!" Seto tried to go upstairs to his room but Mokuba grabbed his arm.

"That's not possible, people can't read minds! Not even you had known I was going to try and bring you two together. I think you're looking into this too much. Trust me when I say that's not what's going on, I just know it's not." Seto rolled his eyes.

"Oh, is that so? And how do you know that?" Mokuba grinned.

"Because wouldn't you have been able to tell what she was after the moment you saw her?" Mokuba knew that Seto was stumped because while Seto wasn't able to predict Mokuba's every move or plan, he liked to think that he was able to do that with anything related to business. It was the only good skill his step father had taught him, or rather, advanced. Though it was true that Seto was human, he was also a perfectionist and didn't like to believe he could make mistakes. Thus, Mokuba had him in a position where he would have to agree or admit to making a business mistake.

Seto narrowed his eyes. "You can believe whatever you want to believe, Mokuba. This won't change the fact that I will no longer interact with her for the rest of the school year. Being cautious never hurt anyone." Seto turned around again, this time determined to make it up the stairs to his room. Mokuba was not satisfied at all but he knew there was no way of changing his brother's mind about it. Seto was a guarded person by nature—he never let anyone in, besides Mokuba.

"You know, Nii-sama… not everything is about your company. Just because she didn't tell the whole truth doesn't mean that she's got something hide, it might just mean there isn't a lot she wants to show. Surely someone who is closed off and private like you could understand the desire to keep certain things to yourself." Mokuba left the front hall and walked towards the kitchen, letting the conversation die right then and there. Seto knew why Mokuba had done this, he wanted Seto think about what he had said.

Seto was able to make the choice not to care, however. He had been alone all his life so to lose out on an opportunity to not be alone, Seto was fine with. The only thing he hoped was that she wouldn't try and talk to him ever again.

* * *

Though Seto had made the conscious decision to no longer consider giving Kisara the time of day, he found this did not make him automatically revert back to his normal, uncaring-for-anyone-other-than-his-brother self. He found that thoughts of Kisara still slipped into his head randomly and it didn't help that she still sat in front of him in his English class the following day.

Seto tried not to make eye contact as she came closer, pretending to read the English book he opened for the second time that school year. She sat down in her regular seat without saying a word to him, of which Seto was thankful. There wasn't a word shared between them for the whole rest of the class period either. Seto spent the entirety of English class that day trying to figure out what it was that was keeping Kisara in his head. No one had kept his attention for this long, especially not someone who wasn't related to his company in some way. By the end of class, Seto was not even close to figuring out what it was.

His puzzlement plagued him through-out his next class until the bell rang and it was lunch period. Seto gave a sigh a relief; at least then he could focus on his food rather than his thoughts of Kisara. Though he could've focused on his actual class instead of letting his mind wander, paying attention would've been more painful than being puzzled, so lunch period was just what he needed to get his mind off of things.

Seto walked into the normal, noisy cafeteria and headed towards the corner of the room. Though the noise was annoying, students weren't allowed to eat outside of the cafeteria during lunch period. Because of this, Seto had established a table in the corner of the cafeteria where no one other than him sat and he was at least happy with that. A whole period to spend by himself with his thoughts, he couldn't think of anything better…

"Hey," Seto snapped out of his thoughts and looked up. Kisara was standing at the other end of the small table, pulling out a chair for herself and sitting down. Seto narrowed his eyes while he stared at her, he tried not to let his frustration about the fact that lunch period was supposed to be the one point in time where he could be alone get the best of him. "How are you?"

"What are you doing?"

"The teachers keep telling me I'm not allowed to eat outside of the cafeteria and I figured you were a nice enough guy to eat lunch with." The argument sounded reasonable, but Seto wasn't convinced and filled with his own suspicion about her actions.

"We've barely talked in the three days you've been here. How could you know anything about me?"

"I don't need to hear someone say a lot of things for me to figure out whether a person's genuine or not." With that, Kisara opened up her lunch bag and started pulling out a sandwich. Seto looked down at the food in front of him, still not convinced of Kisara's argument. Much to his dismay, when he looked up, the table had grown an additional four people and Seto couldn't have been more annoyed.

"Who's your friend, Kaiba?" The blond one asked, eyeing Kisara like a hawk.

"Joey, why don't you try introducing yourself first before drooling all over her?" The brown-haired girl stated, holding out her hand towards Kisara, "My name's Tea. And that's my idiot friend Joey. And these are my other not-so-idiot friends, Tristan and Yugi. Are you new to this school?"

"Why the hell are you guys here? This is MY table. Go sit at your own table."

"Chill Kaiba, we just wanted to find out the name of your lovely friend," Tristan said, trying to be suave and holding out his hand as well. Kisara raised her eyebrow.

"Um… I'm Kisara," She said, shaking both of their hands. Tea and Tristan sat down beside her.

"No, no, no! This is not how it's going to go. I don't deserve to deal with you people during the only free period of school," Seto said, becoming more and more annoyed with every passing second. He was contemplating leaving for another table, but he wasn't sure if dealing with Yugi and his gang of friends was better or worse than dealing with anyone else that went to his school. It wasn't fantastic that it was hard for Seto to get along with anyone at his school but it wasn't something he could help.

So he did what he felt he was best at… he ignored them, continuing to eat his lunch and pretend he was somewhere else. Kisara sat there silently as they all began to come at her with questions from all angles. They seemed nice but she had been hoping to eat during her lunch period, not answer questions. That was when her eyes glanced over at Seto, who seemed to be so annoyed he almost looked like he was shaking with rage.

"Hey, guys?" The four of them fell silent as Kisara stopped them from their questioning, "I'd love to answer all of your questions right now, but it looks like Seto is rather distressed by your presence. So why don't we do this at another time so Seto can eat in peace?" The four of them stared at her, then at Seto. Seto looked up at Kisara.

"But, Kaiba is always annoyed with our presence," Tristan said, stating the obvious.

"Then we can do this when I'm not eating with Seto. I go to school here so… you'll see me around. I'm sure we can talk then." They were baffled by this response but they could do nothing but heed to her request. Seto watched as each one of them rose from their seat at the table and left, absolutely astonished at what had happened. He had never been able to get Yugi and his friends to leave so quickly so that fact that Kisara had done it so easily surprised him. Seto turned back to stare at Kisara again.

"What was that all about?" Kisara was about to take a bite of her sandwich, which she stopped herself from doing in mid-air.

"What?"

"You didn't have to do that, you know." Kisara lowered her sandwich.

"Well, duh, I know I didn't have to but it was clear that they were annoying you and I didn't want you having a bad lunch period because of me. Besides, I was kind of hoping for a quiet lunch too so now we both win." Kisara went back to eating her lunch and Seto did too. Neither of them said anything to each other for the rest of the period and Seto was happy about it especially because he continued to doubt his previous thoughts about her.

Had Kisara done that because she knew that Seto hated Yugi and his friends? As Mokuba had said, Kisara couldn't read minds and not every detail about him could be found out plainly through research online or in the papers. Just as Kisara had made a remark about him being genuine, Seto started to get a sense that Kisara was the same. He began to wonder if it was her sincerity that made her seem different. Then again, Yugi was one of the most sincere people Seto knew and he hated Yugi's guts.

There had to be something more to Kisara that Seto simply wasn't able to understand.

* * *

**A/N:** _So here's that update I'm sure you were all dying to read, up and online a week from posting! Hooray having a set schedule for things! I like it when things go according to schedule, so that's why I express joy in it. Anyway, I'm not sure what else to say about this chapter. There's not much to say since this is only the beginning before all the really good stuff happened! I hope you enjoyed it for what it was and thanks for reading. I'll see you guys next chapter, have a nice day!_


	4. IV

"_Deep beneath the cover of another perfect wonder,_

_Where it's so white as snow._

_Privately divided by a world so undecided,_

_And there's nowhere to go."_

Snow (Hey Oh) by Red Hot Chili Peppers

**IV**

Towards the end of the last class that day, it began to rain furiously. Seto enjoyed this because it helped him to block out the whispers and giggles amongst all of his classmates whom were too excited about the three day weekend coming up to even attempt to pay attention to the lecture going on. There would be a teacher meeting day tomorrow, giving the students Friday off, and making this particular Thursday more annoying than the last. No matter, Seto was just as anxious about having an extra day for the weekend as everyone else, only that he was excited about not having to deal with those around him for an extra day and could spend more time with his younger brother.

When the bell rang, signifying that class had ended, Seto felt relief come over him as he got up and walked towards his locker. The moment he gathered his things together and walked out that front door, Seto knew he was free to put the troubles of the past week behind him and enjoy a relaxing weekend. It didn't take him long to exchange his books at his locker, though he made himself take an extra couple seconds in order for him to miss the school rush at the end of the day.

As Seto was making his way down the hall, he heard the loud sound of someone running towards him. "EXCUSE ME!" Suddenly he was shoved to the side as someone rushed by from behind him, "SORRY!" The individual yelled back, not even turning their head to see who it was that they had pushed. Seto twisted his head in the person's direction and recognized the person who had run by him instantly. The long white hair was the only cue Seto needed; it had been Kisara. Seto shook his head. What did he care? She was just another person he went to school with and soon, he could finally have a three day weekend away from her and everyone else. Seto continued to walk on like the encounter hadn't even mattered.

Seto opened up his umbrella and stepped outside when he reached the door. Before even walking down the front steps, he noticed someone standing on the sidewalk, with nothing to protect from the rain while bearing a look of defeat on their face. It was Kisara. He glanced at her, then over at his car. He could even see it… parked exactly where he had that morning. All he had to do was walk over to it, get in, and leave.

Despite every ounce of his body wanting to leave, however, Seto found he couldn't. He slowly walked down the steps and held the umbrella over Kisara's head. It was only a few seconds before she looked up at him with big, wondrous eyes. Kisara was soaked from head to toe and yet she almost didn't seem aware of it. Her body looked frail and pale, most likely a cause of the fact that she hadn't dressed properly for the weather. Yet, it was the paleness in her face that made Seto notice how blue her eyes really were.

Kisara was completely silent. It was Seto who spoke first, "I'm guessing you missed your bus." Kisara didn't say anything back. She simply looked away and nodded, the look of the defeat returned to her face. Seto felt another tinge of guilt coming on… he supposed there was nothing else he could do except offer her some help. "Well… how about I give you a lift? I have to go get my brother first and then drop him off at my place. I'll take you there so you can get dried off before I take you home." Kisara nodded again and followed Seto to his car.

* * *

The ride home hadn't been awkward but only because Mokuba had been there for the majority of it. Thankfully, Mokuba had not said anything about Kisara being in the car when he first got in. He simply started chattering on about his day like nothing had changed. Seto was thankful for this and he knew that his brother had done this precisely on Seto's behalf. It paid to have a younger brother who understood him. The entire ride home, Kisara had said nothing, while politely listening and nodding when appropriate.

When they had gotten home, Mokuba ran upstairs to his room to start on his homework while Seto handed Kisara a change of clothes to change into while he threw her clothes in the drier. Nothing had been exchanged between the two all afternoon until Kisara emerged from the bathroom and said in a quiet voice, "Thanks for lending me a change of clothes… I really appreciate it."

"No problem," Seto replied, trying to seem nonchalant about the whole thing while at the same time trying to seem busy with something in the kitchen. There was nothing to be busy with… usually Seto would busy himself by doing work but because Kisara was here, he didn't want to leave her alone in his house. He still wasn't sure he could trust this person. Seto had only met her two days earlier after all.

"Do you want some coffee?" Seto asked, filling up the pot with water.

"That would actually be really good, thank you," Kisara said, "Can I sit down on your couch while I wait?"

"Sure." Kisara walked over and let her body fall onto the couch. Though she appeared exhausted, she continued to text furiously, just as she had been ever since she had come out from the bathroom. Kisara looked stressed. "Is everything alright?" Seto asked out of curiosity.

Kisara looked up. "Oh, yeah, everything's fine. It just looks like I'll be missing my shift at the CD store today and I needed to let my boss know… hopefully I'll have enough time to start my first day at the movie theater tonight." Seto raised an eyebrow. This was something that didn't quite add up in Seto's head.

"Not to be rude… but why do you have two jobs? And if you already had two jobs, why did you try and intern at Kaiba Corp.?"

"Oh… well, why I have two jobs is simple… I need two jobs to financially support myself. And I wanted to intern at Kaiba Corp. so that I would actually have something on my résumé that was a halfway decent job experience. I'm what you might call an overachiever." The last word Kisara said sort of drifted in the air as she sunk deeper into the couch. She lowered her hand at one point and the cell phone slipped out of her hand.

"I see…" Seto said, "Are you alright? You look like you're about to pass out."

"Yeah, I'm… fine. I just haven't slept since I've gotten here… you know, with the jet lag, I was afraid… I'd oversleep and miss school and so to make myself not have that happen I… stayed awake and…" Kisara couldn't continue her sentence, her eyes started drooping. There was a vibration that came from her phone. Seto eyed the cell phone that was lying on the ground just as Kisara began shifting her hands around in the air, looking for the cell phone.

Seto sighed and walked over to the couch, "Here, let me get that for you." Seto bent down to pick up the cell phone. When he stood back up, Kisara's eyes were completely closed with her head leaning to the side, fast asleep. Seto stood there awkwardly, looking to the phone, then to the sleeping Kisara, then back to the phone. So… what was he supposed to do now?

Seto's natural instinct would have been to shake her awake, shove the phone into her hand, and tell her to make sure she had a ride home the very second her clothes were done drying. He even leaned over, completely prepared to take such actions, but the moment his hand came near her, his body froze. She looked so… at peace. Shaking her violently awake suddenly seemed barbaric, as he stood there, staring at her. He took this opportunity to really look at her as she was lying there, clearly fast asleep in front of him.

He leaned forward and began observing little things here and there. The way her long, white hair was relatively well brushed and neat, despite how much of it there was and despite having been rained on. He observed her soft, pink lips... the way they curved at the top and formed a heart-like shape on her face. He noted her chest as it rose up and down in response to her rhythmic breathing… in watching this, he suddenly found he couldn't take his eyes off her chest. His eyes grew wide. It was the first time he had ever looked at a girl in that way…

"What is going on here?" Seto nearly lost his balance and fell on her. Somehow he had managed to catch himself in time and twirled around. Seto saw his brother standing on the other side of the room with a huge grin on his face.

"She fell asleep," Seto stated in a hurry.

"Duh! I can see that she's sleeping but what were you doing?" Seto furrowed his brow.

"Figuring out what to do with a sleeping girl on my couch, what do you think?" Seto turned around and walked past Mokuba out of the room. Mokuba followed him into the kitchen.

"Why won't you just admit that you like her?"

"I don't understand why you want so dearly to live in a reality where I cared about romance or, better yet, cared about other people. Don't you like being the only person that matters to me?" Seto went over to the counter and turned off the coffee maker. The coffee hadn't finished brewing a while ago. He leaned against the counter and crossed his arms. Mokuba stood across from him.

"What I like or dislike shouldn't matter. What should matter is what you want!" Seto turned his away and scowled. He grabbed a mug out of the cabinet and filled his cup. Seto shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"What I really want is that person out of my house but I'm pretty sure she won't be awake until the late evening and by then I'll need to feed you."

"How about she eats with us?" Seto rolled his eyes and let his head drop in annoyance.

"Mokuba, why do you continue to do this to me? You're clearly trying to annoy me!"

"Nii-sama, even you know that it would be common courtesy." Seto took a sip from his cup and sighed. Mokuba wasn't going to give up on this, he could just tell. Having some girl over was the last thing Seto had planned on doing that evening but it seemed it would be inevitable to avoid. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"You know what, Mokuba? You're right. It would be rude of me to send her off without inviting her to dinner." Now Mokuba was really confused. Seto set the cup down and took out a huge pot which he then began to fill with water. Mokuba stared at him, dumbfounded. He knew his brother must've been up to something because the words, 'you're right' never came out of Seto's mouth… ever. Mokuba said nothing, nevertheless, knowing that the truth would reveal itself over dinner.

* * *

The sun had already set when Kisara awoke. Her eyes slowly opened and the first thing that came to her mind was the fact that she felt a lot better than she did when she fell asleep. Everything she had felt gloomy about before, well… she couldn't even remember. She felt rejuvenated, alive, and ready to… figure out where it is she was.

Kisara sat up quickly, completely forgetting everything that had happened hours earlier. She rolled onto her side and fell off the couch, she didn't remember being on a couch. While falling over herself, she managed to find her cell phone. She had several unread text messages and a couple missed calls… all from work. She was late.

Not even caring to try and remember where she was, she stumbled to her feet and wondered aloud where her shoes were. As she ran into the next room, she found herself in a dining room where there were two other people present. Everything came back to her then.

"Kisara, I was just coming to wake you up. How do you feel?" Mokuba asked, gesturing Kisara to join him and his brother at the table. Kisara couldn't help but stare at the delicious meal set out in front of her on the table.

"I, uh… I need to go. I'm late for work."

"Now, now… I won't be hearing any of that. I've prepared a good meal for the three of us and I'd appreciate it if you'd eat it." Kisara eyed Seto. What was this guy's angle? He hadn't even seemed happy when she had come to his house in the first place, and yet now he was cooking meals for her and letting her sleep on his couch? It was getting too weird.

"Look, that is incredibly nice of you to do, but I really must be going. If I miss work, I may lose my job. So if you wouldn't mind…" Seto shrugged.

"Alright then, if you won't have dinner with us, at least hear me out. I have a bit of a proposition for you," Seto said, folding his hands together, "How about this… you drop both of your jobs to work for me as my assistant at Kaiba Corp." Kisara was taken off guard.

"Excuse me? You want me to drop my jobs to work for you? Is this a joke?"

"Not at all… in fact, I'm willing to pay double what the combined total of those jobs would pay you." Kisara was completely quiet for a moment. Was Seto being serious with her?

"I don't get it, why would you want to do something like that for me?"

"Oh please, it's not for you. Usually my right hand man acts as both my assistant as well as the caretaker for Mokuba at moments when I'm unable. I'd like him to spend less time in the office and more time home with Mokuba when I'm particularly busy. So what do you say? Are you up for the task?" Kisara didn't know what she was up for right then and there, but she did admit that it was a pretty good deal. Not to mention that it would be something she could put on her resume, which was what she wanted in the first place. Still, she wasn't sure.

"…I need some time to decide. For now, I'm going to catch a cab home. Thanks for making me dinner and I'll see you on Monday." With that, Kisara twisted around and left. Mokuba and Seto were completely silent until they heard the door open and then close as Kisara exited the residence. Mokuba turned to Seto.

"Yesterday you couldn't trust her, now you want her to take Isono's job? What are you plotting?" Seto leaned back in his chair with a grin as he folded his hands once more.

"I'm sure you've heard the saying that goes, 'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer.'" Mokuba rolled his eyes.

"She's your enemy now?"

"Anyone besides you and Isono are my enemy, Mokuba. You should know that by now." Mokuba didn't want to respond. He began eating his dinner without answering his brother, hoping instead that Seto knew what he was doing. Though Seto's approach seemed a little strange, the way Mokuba saw it at least this meant that they would be spending more time together which meant romance could blossom more easily. So in a way, Mokuba had done it! He smiled at the thought as he carried on eating dinner.

Now all he had to worry about was how to make her fall in love with him and hope that her intentions really didn't involve taking over Seto's company. As long as those two things were taken care of, there would be a happily ever after for his older brother.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hello readers and reviewers alike! It is I, HiKari, bringing you the fourth installment of my story, "For Love's Sake" after over 6 months of absence. For those of you who are curious what happened; nothing. I just got caught up in college work, traveling, social life, love life, family, GOING TO ITALY, and so many other great things. It's been a fantastic spring/summer but all in all, I never did forget about this story. I tried multiple times to bring it back to life, but my head wasn't in the right frame of mind. For now, it seems I've got my groove back so thanks for reading and I hope to post a new chapter soon!_


	5. V

"_And what you want, what you really need,_

_Are two different things, wouldn't you say?_

_The line is thin between fun and sin,_

_And we're all clockin' in for the day."_

Holiday in My Head by Smash Mouth

**V**

Seto heard nothing from Kisara all weekend which, in a way, made sense. He realized almost immediately that he hadn't given her his phone number so there was no way for her to contact him and let him know if she accepted his offer. Despite this realization, he tried keeping Kisara out of his thoughts for the majority of the long weekend and tried focusing on other things.

Seto and Mokuba never spoke again of the Kisara matter, which made focusing on other things much easier. So much so that when Monday did roll around, Seto had almost forgotten his proposal completely, even up until he had finished sitting through his English class, thinking only about how boring the lecture was that day as he stared blankly at his textbook in front of him and nothing else. The Mondays after a long weekend always seemed longer, but at least the day was halfway over already.

As Seto was getting ready to leave the classroom and organizing his text books in his briefcase, he hadn't noticed Kisara was the last one in the classroom, sitting in front of him. "I've thought about your offer and I accept," was all Kisara said to him and that was when Seto finally remembered what he had nearly forgotten thinking about all weekend. Seto stopped rummaging through his backpack and looked up.

Kisara had already looked away, now she was the one gathering things from her backpack and placing them into her backpack. "Alright then," Seto said, "I expect to see you in my office today at four o'clock. Got it?" Kisara zipped up her backpack and got up from her desk.

"I'll see you then." Kisara turned away and walked out of the classroom. Seto couldn't hide his grin as he clicked his briefcase close and walked out of the classroom a few moments later. She had no questions for him? She wasn't curious about anything? Seto was beginning to believe that she thought this job was going to be easy. Little did Kisara know that Seto had a history with assistants… over the course of his career, he had gone through several assistants before deciding Isono would be the best man for the job. Working at Kaiba Corp. was already a stressful place to work, but working directly under the CEO of the company? It was no easy task.

Seto felt Kisara would understand exactly what she had gotten herself into later that day when she came into the office. The mere thought of showing her how hard it was to work at his company brought him joy; for there was nothing that brought Seto more joy than proving someone wrong. The day flew by after English class and before he knew it, school had ended and Seto was off to pick up his brother from school.

"Hey kiddo, how was school today?" Seto asked when Mokuba got into the car. Mokuba sighed.

"Long, hard… I don't want to talk about it. Can we go home today?"

"Sorry Mokuba, we have to go to the office today. Kisara is starting her first day at Kaiba Corp." Mokuba eyes widened, for he had forgotten Seto's proposal over the weekend as well. This must've meant Kisara had taken Seto up on his offer. He was still having a hard time figuring out whether this assistant thing was a good idea or a bad one, but he had high hopes for Seto and Kisara nonetheless.

"That should be fun," Mokuba said with a grin.

"It's business, Mokuba, and business isn't about fun. It's about work." And Seto was planning to work that day… making Kisara work even harder. That was where the real fun would begin as he would proceed in watching her break under all the pressure. It would be a delight indeed.

* * *

Seto walked into his office, blank of expression, and without giving Kisara even a glance. "Good afternoon," Kisara began to say, right before she was cut off by Seto as he sat into his seat and turned on his laptop.

"I need you to e-mail a memo to all Kaiba Corp. employees, try to write up a legible list of all the appointments I have today in order from this appointment book, and sort through all of my e-mails. Delete everything that isn't important," Seto said coolly before looking up and adding, "Oh, and I need all these things to be done within the next hour or you're fired. I don't have an office for you or anything but just set up over there and keep quiet." Seto handed Kisara a tiny laptop with a huge stack of papers on top along with an appointment book somewhere in the middle of the pile. Kisara didn't look the least bit concerned.

"I'm on it." Mokuba watched Kisara rush over to the other side of the room; there was a small table and chair there where she could work. Mokuba watched as she eagerly began to set up her work area by placing the laptop on the table and laying out all the papers on the floor. He shrugged and got up when he realized Seto and Kisara probably wouldn't be doing anything except working for the next couple hours which was the least entertaining thing to watch.

"Well, I'm going to go watch some T.V. in the lobby. I'll catch up with you guys later," Mokuba said before leaving the room. Seto took a split second to ponder whether being in the same room as Kisara, alone, would make things awkward but then he realized that there would be no reason for them to talk to each other if they were both busy working. Seto quickly ignored his previous thought and logged onto his computer.

Just then, a soft and calming music began to originate from Kisara's computer as she scanned the appointment book and began making notes on another sheet of paper. Seto turned away from his computer and glared at her.

"What is that?" Kisara looked up.

"Huh? What is what? Are you talking about the music?" Seto continued to glare at her. Kisara was taken back by this response, "I find that listening to classical music helps me concentrate. Do you not enjoy Mozart?"

"Shut it off." Kisara clicked the space bar and the music ceased.

"Sorry, I didn't know you hated classical music."

"For the record, I hate all music." Kisara said nothing in response and was quiet as she continued to do the tasks Seto assigned her to do. Forty-five minutes later, she had completed all of them.

"Here you go," Kisara said, handing back the appointment book as well as two sheets of paper with appointments and times written on them, "I also organized all of your e-mails and sent out the memo that you wanted me to." Seto snatched away the sheets of paper with the appointments written on it first.

"Well, congratulations, you're competent enough to do work at a reasonable pace. Good for you," Seto stated in the most unconcerned manner before looking down at the sheets of paper in his hand. His eyes went wide. "Why didn't you get this to me sooner?"

The smile on Kisara's face was suddenly wiped clean, "Wait, what? You just said a second ago that I did a good job…" Seto rose from his seat.

"I have a meeting with our biggest potential client in less than twenty minutes and I haven't prepared myself at all to meet with him. You should've showed me this sooner!" Kisara took a step back, absolutely astonished at her lapse of common sense.

"I… I… I didn't…"

"Just shut it and sit down. I can't concentrate with you standing near me right now," Seto barked as he frantically began straightening his desk and putting it in order. Kisara folded her arms, unsure what to do with herself. She couldn't help but feel ashamed as she watched Seto tidy up his desk. Kisara returned to her desk and flipped open the laptop, hoping to discover something useful to do.

Meanwhile, Seto was losing time. In five minutes he had managed to clean up his desk but he couldn't, for the life of him, find the papers he needed and he was feeling less than energetic that afternoon. He began cursing under his breath at himself for being so dumb as to set up an important meeting after being in school all day… and without having a cup of coffee.

"Coffee?" Kisara got up from her desk, "I'll get you coffee. Do you need coffee?" Seto shot a glare at Kisara.

"For future reference, I always need coffee. Now hurry up, I don't have much time."

"You got it." Kisara didn't bother asking where she could find coffee; she only knew she had to get it fast before Seto considered firing her over this. Just as she was about to walk out of the door, a man stood in her way.

"My apologies madam, but is this the office of a Mr. Seto Kaiba?" Kisara's eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but Seto was the one to say the appropriate response first.

"Mr. Kazuko… welcome," Kisara moved away so that Seto could shake Mr. Kazuko's hand, "I'm terribly sorry I was ill-prepared for our meeting this afternoon. Was it difficult finding my office?"

"Yes, actually," Mr. Kazuko walked past the two of them and made himself comfortable on the couch in Seto's office, "I was surprised there wasn't anyone in the lobby to greet me. Was she the one you were going to send down?" Mr. Kazuko asked, eyeing Kisara. Kisara looked down, feeling utterly ashamed for herself.

"Yes… yes she was. I'm afraid we got caught up in other affairs… but no need for further explanation, let's talk business." Seto gestured Kisara to return to her post in the corner and Kisara silently obeyed. Seto, on the other hand, sat down on the second couch in his office, opposite to Mr. Kazuko.

"I agree. Let's talk business and why I don't want to do business with your company."

"I'm curious to know why that is."

"I'm just not convinced. Why do business with you when I can invest my money in Industrial Illusions?" Seto withheld shuddering in disgust.

"Because unlike Industrial Illusions, we produce items to go along with the card games we promote. We've enhanced the way people play duel monsters that's never been done before with our duel disk technology."

"If I recall, it was Pegasus who first came up with holographic dueling arenas."

"But I made them portable!" Seto stated loudly. Mr. Kazuko shook his head.

"By taking the technology of someone else and making it into something you can wear on your arm maybe good for money, Mr. Kaiba, but it's not the only thing I'm interested in. Quite frankly, it's not only your lack of ideas that disinterest me, but it's not like you hold the greatest report with the public. Pegasus is very well-received in comparison to what they of you… which is a stuck up jerk."

"He wouldn't be well-received if the public knew he was a kidnapper!" In that moment, Seto realized he had made a mistake. He couldn't help himself… he had such a headache at the moment! What little patience he had was deteriorating in a matter of seconds and for this client… he was going to need what little patience he possessed. It was then that he realized he needed coffee. That would cure him of his head pain and put him back on track. "Could you excuse me for a moment? I need to take a short break before continuing with our meeting."

Seto got up from the couch and quickly left the room. The moment he was gone, Kisara rose from her chair and walked over to Mr. Kazuko. "I think you should reconsider investing in Kaiba Corp. Seto Kaiba may not seem like the kindest fellow but it's really only because he's blunt and to the point. It's because of that that you always know what point he's trying to make and he never strives for anything less than perfect in his work. His work is reflected in the stock market. Kaiba Corp. produces quality you can't get anywhere else in the world and that's because Seto Kaiba care more about his clients and making them happy than anything else."

Mr. Kazuko eyed Kisara. She was a woman less than half his age and telling him what to do. Mr. Kazuko didn't know whether to be offended or impressed. He smiled and leaned forward.

"You've got quite a lot to say for merely an assistant. What makes you so sure you know these things for a fact?"

"I know this for a fact because… working at Kaiba Corp. has always been my dream for a long time even I'm just an assistant. I've researched and watched Kaiba Corp. grow from what it was to what it is today. This company stands for something, it _means_ something. It's not just about good business! And I believe in what it stands for and I think you should too because this gaming company has more than just heart, it has class." Mr. Kazuko was extremely quiet and his facial expression hadn't changed the entire time Kisara had been speaking. Kisara could feel the shame creeping up on her again… she could do nothing except assume the worst; that she had ruined whatever chance Seto had of gaining this client completely. Kisara's last word lingered in her mind just as she saw Seto standing in the doorway, nearly about his coffee in shock. Mr. Kazuko turned around in his seat.

"Oh Mr. Kaiba, you've returned to us."

"Yes… and what seems to be going on here?"

"Oh… Mr. Kazuko and I were just talking about…"

"Go back to your desk where you belong." Kisara quickly returned to her desk and said nothing before catching sight of the glare Seto was shooting her way. The minute she sat down, Mr. Kazuko stood up.

"Mr. Kaiba, can you and I speak somewhere private?" Seto nodded, leading Mr. Kazuko out of his office and down the hall to an empty conference room. Seto shut the door behind him and prepared for the worst. He had already prepared an explanation speech in the ten seconds it had taken them to get to the conference room.

"Mr. Kazuko, I'm going to tell you right now that I hadn't intended—"

"You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Kaiba," Mr. Kazuko held out his hand towards Seto. Seto was stopped mid-sentence as he looked down at the hand held in front of him… then his eyes wandered back up to Mr. Kazuko's face as he shook the man's hand.

"Um… thank you, Sir. It'll be a pleasure to do business with you and your company."

"The pleasure belongs to that assistant of yours. She's the one who convinced me to do business with you. The girl has got some spunk in her… I suggest you give that one a raise before someone else spots her potential," Mr. Kazuko stated, "Good day to you, Mr. Kaiba. I'm sure we'll be speaking again soon." When Mr. Kazuko left the room that was when it had all hit Seto. He had done it. He had gotten the deal! No… he soon realized, it hadn't been him, it was Kisara who had done it. Seto had to take an extra second to think about that before returning to his office.

Kisara immediately rose from her desk when he entered. "Seto, I'm so sorry about what happened… I was only trying to help, I swear."

"We got the deal."

"Wait… we did?" Kisara sighed with relief and disbelief. She was sure she was as good as fired only a few moments earlier.

"Yes, we did… but I have to know for myself, what did you tell him that convinced him to do business with us?" Kisara shrugged and then smiled.

"I guess I just sold him on the idea," Kisara noted that Seto's cup of coffee was nearly empty, "Here, let me get you some more coffee." Kisara left the room, leaving Seto thoroughly impressed with her skills but also confused. A question came to his mind… If Kisara was his enemy, why would she help him? Somehow, without saying anything, Seto knew the answer. Could it be that deep down he knew she wasn't an enemy all along to him and that's why he had given her the job in the first place? If that was the case, if he knew she wasn't an enemy… then what was she to him?

Seto didn't want to think about it. There was no reason to think about it. He had gotten the deal and he was happy. For the time being, Kisara was his assistant and he was satisfied with that.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hello all! Here I am, just over a month later, updating despite my saying I was going to update a little more often. I suppose I didn't realize how much more I had to chew this semester. My life has gotten a little more complicated over the years so you may have to forgive me for giving you false hope. I don't even think I realize how busy I've become since the semester began! Anyhow, it's a great thing I love numerology, because I love today's numbers and that's one of the reasons I forced myself to try and finish this chapter all day. Hahaha, hopefully I'll get back into the groove of writing soon. I miss it so much. Anyway, thanks for reading (and for reviewing)! It was great to hear from you all. Your reviews put a big smile on my face. You're all wonderful!_


	6. VI

_"Wish that I could cry,_

_Fall upon my knees._

_Find a way to lie,_

_About a home I'll never see."_

Superman (It's Not Easy) by Five For Fighting

**VI**

It was nearly seven o'clock and Mokuba was thrilled by the prospects of going home. He had napped in the lobby for the majority of the time he had been there, visiting his brother periodically for food and a conversation or two to break up the day. Mokuba had heard about the meeting with Mr. Kazuko and was just as impressed with Kisara's performance as Seto was. Not only was she pretty, but smart too!

Mokuba refused to hide the grin on his face as he mused about what a perfect match Seto and Kisara were for one another and made his way towards Seto's office. Just then, he spotted Kisara up ahead, coming out of the elevator and walking in the same direction. Mokuba quickly rushed ahead to catch up with her.

"Hey Kisara! What's up?" Mokuba asked as he came up beside her.

"Nothing much, I just came from dropping off some important documents in the mail for your brother."

"Were the documents in big, brown envelopes?"

"Yeah they were. Why?"

"Those are some of our most important business files… Seto never let's anyone other than himself deliver those to the mailbox. He must really think highly of you." Kisara was both surprised and bewildered by this. She hadn't thought anything of dropping off those documents… though she also hadn't been told of their contents either.

"Wow… I didn't know that. I guess this must be a result of getting Mr. Kazuko to do business with us." Mokuba smiled as he replied.

"Must be." Their conversation was interrupted by the sweet and soft melody of music coming from Seto's office just as they came to the entrance. Mokuba ran in to embrace his brother, as he usually did after a long day of work. "Nii-sama, are you listening to music right now?"

Seto looked up from his laptop and turned. First he noticed Mokuba and then he noticed Kisara standing in the doorway. He immediately turned it off, "It's nothing, just some classical music."

"But you hate music! You've always said that you hated all music, even music that doesn't have lyrics."

"Classical music is different, it's not… the same."

"This is the first time I've heard you say that." Seto was too embarrassed to continue the conversation. He avoided meeting Kisara's gaze. Kisara gave a small smile. He had liked the music she had listened to… She said nothing, assuming that was what Seto wanted. Kisara coughed to get Seto's attention.

"Um, Mr. Kaiba, is there anything else you need me to do? Sounds like you're about to head home. I can stick around to finish up if there's anything to be done." Seto shut down his computer and closed his laptop. He got up from his seat.

"No, I think we've both done enough for the day. We can all head home." Mokuba jumped with glee after such a statement being made.

"Awesome! I'm so tired, Nii-sama. I can't wait to fall into bed." Seto gathered his things and packed them away. After clicking his brief case closed, he rose from his seat and exited his office, Kisara and Mokuba following from behind. "How are you getting home, Kisara?" Mokuba asked, "Do you have a car or something?"

Kisara shook her head. "I don't have a car, actually. I'm probably going to take the bus home." The three of them entered the elevator and proceeded to go downstairs to the first floor.

"Isn't it a little late in the day to be taking the bus home, though?" Mokuba asked with concern in his voice.

"What? No, of course it's not late. It's only a little after seven o'clock. The sun hasn't even set yet."

"I'm going to have to agree with Mokuba, Kisara. It'd be ridiculous to let you take the bus at this hour. How about we make a deal that we take you home every day after work, unless you have to leave early that day?" Mokuba looked to Seto and smiled.

"I think that's a good idea!" The elevator doors opened and the Kaiba brothers exited, Kisara followed after them towards the parking lot.

"I hope you don't have the impression that I need a ride home every day. I'll be fine going home, I promise." When Seto reached his car, he clicked his keys and unlocked it. He opened the backdoor and held it open. Mokuba hopped in and Seto gestured for Kisara to do the same.

"Please don't be annoying about this. I'm trying to do something nice for you so the least you can do is thank me and get in the car." Kisara shrugged and got into the car as Seto had commanded. They were off within a couple minutes.

"Do you need directions or…?"

"No, I know where you live. I have a good memory." Kisara folded her hands in her lap and said nothing for the rest of the drive to her apartment. When they reached the building, the car came to a halt and Kisara got out.

"Thanks for the ride, Seto. Will I be seeing you at the office, same time tomorrow?"

"Yep, that's how it'll go from now on." Kisara nodded with understanding and turned her head as she got out of the car. She didn't want him to see how obvious her smile was… not that Seto was even looking her way as he had been speaking to her. Kisara guessed their boss-assistant relationship was supposed to be that way. "Good night."

Kisara looked up to see him looking at her. Kisara didn't try to hide her smile that time.

"Good night. See you tomorrow."

"Bye Kisara!" Mokuba shouted with excitement right before Kisara shut the door.

"See you later, Mokuba." Kisara waved goodbye as they drove off and rounded the corner. She fiddled through her purse and fished out the keys to her apartment, letting a long, tired sigh be released from her chest. Today had been a good day… but a long day as well. Kisara couldn't wait to hop into bed, though judging by the grumbling in her stomach, she knew dinner had to come first before she even came near her bed.

Within a few minutes, she had made it up the stairs and into her apartment. She dropped her purse to the floor and let her head hang for a while. She was so tired… she didn't want to make dinner for herself. She just wanted to sleep. Dragging her feet across the ground, she journeyed from the door to her couch where she let her body collapsed for some well-earned rest.

Kisara kicked off her shoes and curled up, letting her body sink into the cushions. She propped up a pillow under her head and took a moment to take in her surroundings. It was a very empty apartment. There was hardly any furniture except for the basics in addition to Kisara's necessities for school and the boxes of her other stuff that had yet to be unpacked. She had spent all of last weekend adjusting to the time zone and catching up on her sleep leaving very little time for unpacking.

Just then, her eyelids began to feel heavy and for the time being, she was okay with that. Who cares if she didn't eat dinner? She wasn't hungry anyway… all she really wanted was to have a nice, deep sleep… Suddenly the phone rang, and Kisara sat straight up. She scrambled to get over to the home phone in the corner on the phone but when she saw the caller I.D. she froze and did nothing until it went to voice mail.

"Hey sweetie, it's your mom here. I know it's probably a little late where you are to be calling but your father and I were just calling to see how you're doing. We still haven't heard from you since you've been there. Are you having that much fun already?" There was a short pause that followed before she continued, "Well, I'll let you go. You're probably still adjusting to the time zone over there but just so you know, your father and I love you and miss you so much already. Please give us a call some time, and let Aunt Senbi know we said hi. That woman is hard to reach on her phone… hope you two aren't too busy having a good time together! Remember to do your homework!"

Kisara hadn't even noticed she was crying until she felt the tears beginning to drip down from the bottom of her chin to the folded hands in her lap. Kisara cursed herself for crying… she'd cried almost every single day since she had arrived in Japan. She missed her parents so much. She loved her parents intensely and had felt horrible the day she told them she was leaving because the way their faces looked showed how utterly shattered their hearts had become after hearing her decision to leave. But Kisara was set on doing what needed to be done and she felt moving to Japan was the best thing for her… even if every aspect of every step of the way practically killed her inside.

Slowly but surely, Kisara wiped away the tears and rose from the floor. She had to keep moving forward. She had to focus on the positive side. She was going to a new school, she had a great job… and then there was Seto Kaiba. And realizing that, made her stop dead in her tracks. She wasn't sure why, but he was a huge part of the reason she even felt slightly okay with her current predicament. She couldn't think too hard about it, though, because she knew if she did she wouldn't be able to sleep… for fear that there was actually a legitimate reason Seto Kaiba made her smile.

* * *

"…After you take this down to Room 105 and give a hand off to the jerk off giving the presentation, I'm going to need you to send out another memo to all the employees reminding them that when they're holding a meeting about our stocks, they should probably have a slide show that shows our most recent…" Seto stopped walking and turned to Kisara, "Are you okay? You're not keeping up with my pace. Is something wrong?"

Kisara shook her head. "No! I might just be a little tired or something. I really am paying attention though, and I'll make sure to get that all done within the next hour." The truth was that Kisara was tired since she had been up all night crying since hearing the voicemail her parents left her. Even though she knew Japan was where she was meant to be, her heart still ached for her family and friends. Nevertheless, she was at work now, it was a whole new day she was determined not to waste it crying over people living miles and miles away from her. She had to focus on the positive… by completely throwing herself into her work and not thinking about her family at all.

Just as Kisara looked up to see where she was going, she ran right into Seto. Seto and Kisara stopped walking when they realized they had both reached Seto's office and neither one of them had remembered to look where they were going. Seto politely nodded his head and gestured Kisara to walk in first.

"You can go first, Kisara."

"Thanks, Seto." Just as Kisara went to walk forward, she tripped on Seto's foot just as he was turning to let her walk through. Seto moved quickly, reacting purely on instinct, catching Kisara in mid-air right before she fell to the ground. His hands held her by the waist and kept her from hitting the ground. There was a silence that followed as Kisara was suspended in the air, unsure what to say in response to such chivalry.

Seto, on the other hand, couldn't help but notice he was actually touching a woman… not only that, but holding her up by the waist which was the most intimate he had ever been with any woman, ever. Upon realizing this, he immediately dropped Kisara to the floor. There was a loud thump as Kisara hit the ground and Seto could tell something bad had occurred from the look on Kisara face as she groaned in agony.

"Kisara, are you okay?" Seto rushed over and knelt down by Kisara, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to trip you." Kisara slowly began to sit up.

"There's nothing to fret about, I'm fine…" Kisara moved her hands to lift herself up off the ground but the moment she tried to exert any pressure on her left hand a shot of incredible pain shot through her arm. She fell back onto the floor and held her wrist, clenching her teeth. "I… might not be fine. I can't move my left hand properly. I think my wrist is messed up."

"We need to get you to a hospital right away." Kisara turned her head to look at him.

"Wait, what? You're going to take me to a hospital? Don't you think that's a little extreme?" Seto didn't give a response, he helped Kisara to her feet and turned towards the employee standing by the door, watching the amazing spectacle of Seto helping another human being.

"Let Mokuba know I'm taking Kisara to the hospital and I'll be back later," Seto barked at the man before leading Kisara out of the office with an arm around her shoulder the entire time and to the elevator. Kisara was holding her wrist and trying not to wince every time she walked. The tiniest movement caused her pain.

"Seto, the hospital is going to be crowded with people today. It's Monday afternoon… it'll take hours before we'll able to see a doctor." Seto opened the door for Kisara when they reached Seto's car and let her get in before jumping in on the driver's side.

"Don't you worry about seeing a doctor, I've got it all covered." Kisara turned to look at him. What did he think he could do, convince everyone in the hospital that he was more important than all the people who had been waiting there for hours before they had even arrived? Still, she couldn't complain about Seto's actions to take care of her… "And don't get any ideas about me caring about your condition, I'm only doing this because it's partially my fault you got hurt and I can't have an efficient assistant with a hurt arm."

"I don't care what reason your reason is, I simply appreciate your gesture and thank you for what you're doing." Seto said nothing and kept driving. Thankfully the Domino City hospital was nearby and it took them very little time to get there and park.

"Now listen, I need you to be quiet and follow my lead," Seto commanded as he led Kisara into the hospital, his arm still around Kisara's shoulder for support. Kisara said nothing and walked as quickly as possible to keep up with Seto as they neared the front desk.

"I'm going to need a doctor right now for my assistant. We're not sure what's wrong but I'm worried she might've broken her wrist." The woman at the front desk didn't even look up from the computer she was typing on.

"Sir, you're going to have to wait like everyone else to see a doctor, especially if you don't have an appointment." Seto slammed the bell on the woman's front desk so violently it sent an echo through-out the room, causing everyone to look up from what they were doing. When the woman looked up from her computer she rose from her seat when she saw who it was.

"Oh, Mr. Seto Kaiba… I didn't know it was you. I'm so terribly sorry…"

"If Dr. Yamato isn't here in the next five seconds, there's going to be a problem your boss will not want to hear about."

"I'll do that right away, Mr. Kaiba. Let me page him right now." Kisara was speechless. She had known Seto was well-known… but she could've never guessed that he commanded this much respect from the people of Domino City. It wasn't until they had left to meet the doctor on a higher floor that she had realized Seto still had his arm wrapped around her tight.

Kisara wasn't sure whether Seto had even noticed but during those moments she hadn't even noticed the pain in her wrist. All she could do was smile with gratitude that she wasn't completely alone.

* * *

**A/N:** _Happy 11/11/11 folks! If you've been following me on Twitter, you may have noticed that I had been planning on updating on this day for a while now. I was a little worried that I wouldn't be able to since only yesterday, less than half of this chapter was written but suddenly I was struck with inspiration and all of this came out! I'm so happy, especially since I've been so stressed and sad lately. Writing always finds a way to brighten my spirits, though! And friendship. Which by the way, one of my most dear friends, Kura Bruder, has been helping me with this story every step of the way. I should've credited her for last chapter but I was a bum and forgot to mention it. So a big thank you goes out to her and all of you who read and review! Thank you guys so much, you brighten my day._


	7. VII

"_See I been traveling, been traveling forever,_

_But now that I found a home, feels like I'm in heaven._

_See I been traveling, been traveling forever,_

_But now that I'm home, feels like I'm in heaven."_

The Traveling Song by Will I Am

**VII**

"…So is my wrist broken or what?" Kisara said, rudely interrupting Dr. Yamato as he was explaining the x-rays he was holding up. She felt bad for being rude but after sitting in a hospital room for almost two and a half hours with Seto fighting with other doctors and nurses left and right, her patience had run thin. Kisara was tired and in pain… though the wrist brace Dr. Yamato had put on her certainly helped.

"No, your wrist isn't broken but it is fractured. Fractured bones aren't as serious as broken bones but you are going to have to wear that brace for a couple of weeks until it fully heals," Dr. Yamato stated, putting the x-rays down and turning to face her, "There is also some medication I can provide to help with the pain along with the brace… and due to the urgency Seto put on making sure I looked you over, insurance forms were never filled out. Do you know your insurance situation?"

Kisara eyes widened. "I'm not currently aware of my insurance situation… you see, I just moved here and I haven't exactly had the chance to figure that all out yet."

"That's understandable. I'm sure, though, there's someone in your family you can call to find out." Kisara looked to the side.

"I live with my aunt but I doubt she'll pick up my calls. She's very busy." Seto stood up from where he was sitting and walked over to Dr. Yamato.

"Dr. Yamato, how about I just pay for everything Kisara needs for now. It'll take less time for both of us if we do it that way. What do you say you do this one favor for me?" Kisara turned to Seto. Now Seto was paying for her medical expenses? She wasn't sure she felt comfortable with that while Dr. Yamato seemed to be completely fine with Seto's proposition.

"That's fine by me," Dr. Yamato picked up his chart and prepared to leave, but Seto held him back.

"I just have one more question for you. Kisara is actually my assistant and I was wondering if she would still be able to work for me while her wrist is healing."

"I'm thinking she should be fine. I'm going to assume Kisara is right-handed and since it's her left wrist that is injured, she should be able to work. I would advise she not do anything that exerts too much energy because if she does try to do too much, she won't make a lot of progress." Kisara was getting more and more frustrated with each passing second. Seto was talking about her as if she was his kid instead of his seventeen year old peer. It was then that Seto turned to Kisara.

"So maybe you should take a couple weeks off, then. I don't want you hurting yourself more than you already have." That was it. Kisara got up from where she was sitting.

"Look Seto, I really appreciate you taking me here and getting a doctor to look at me but I'm able to make my own decisions and take care of myself, I'm not a little girl. I don't need your sympathy," Kisara spat, "Or your money."

"I never said you were a little girl, I'm only trying to be rational about your condition. You heard what Dr. Yamato said, if you work too hard, you'll get worse. Just accept my help now and you can pay me back later."

"I told you, I don't need your help!" Kisara yelled, her hands were beginning to shake from the rage. Kisara didn't need to be rescued. Just because he was Seto Kaiba didn't mean she was powerless to look out for herself. She didn't need his help in the first place.

"Well, I'm not asking to help you, am I? So just shut up and calm down."

"You know what? Never mind. I quit," Kisara un-tied the brace from her wrist, "I don't know who you think you are, but I didn't become your assistant so you could parent me and tell me you know what's best." Seto could feel his patience slipping away with each passing word in the conversation. She was being astonishingly difficult about this.

"I think I'm your boss and you're acting ridiculous!"

"Oh yeah? Well, you can screw off and keep your stupid brace too!" Kisara threw the brace right into Seto's face. She twisted around to storm out of the room, slamming her left wrist right against of the opened door as she tried to leave the room. Kisara yelled as she felt a jolt of pain in her wrist. She sank down to the floor and rested her injured wrist on her knees.

Kisara bent her head and let her hair fall in front of her face. Hot tears began streaming down her face and she could not stop them. She brought her right hand up to her face and began to cry freely. She felt so many things… she was disappointed, embarrassed, ashamed… hurting her wrist, sitting on the floor of the hospital room, crying in front of her boss, the list could go on and on. The very thought made her cry even more.

"I want to go home," Seto heard Kisara whisper between tears and it was then that he realized there had to be more to her reaction than just the pain, a lot more. He said nothing, bringing over the brace she had tossed away and offering it to her as a sign of kindness and comfort. Kisara was silent as she took it from his hand. Seto wasn't sure what else to do… he cursed himself for not knowing more about handling interpersonal affairs. All he could do was back away and say nothing.

* * *

"…And then she just sat there crying for a while. I had no idea what to do so I didn't try to talk to her. Thankfully Dr. Yamato showed up and did all the talking for me. She was quiet for the whole ride home except when we got to her apartment where she thanked me. I wanted to ask her if I would be seeing her at the office tomorrow but I didn't. I figured she was too emotional to know or… something." Seto turned his head to see if Mokuba was even still listening. He had guessed that Mokuba had fell asleep right there on the couch after hearing him yap away about his day but instead, Mokuba looked positively enthralled by the conversation.

"I can't believe you made Kisara cry!"

"I didn't make her cry! Obviously there's something else going on that is upsetting her… and making her upset with me," Seto crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. "How the hell am I expected to have an assistant who's having emotional break downs left and right?" Mokuba furrowed his brow.

"Hey now, Nii-sama, don't be a jerk about it… you know that Kisara's a good assistant!"

"I do know that! And I'd like to keep her around but she won't let me help her. I act considerate for a change and then suddenly I'm the bad guy. How does that make sense?" Mokuba shook his head as if to suggest that he knew all the answers.

"Nii-sama, the best way to help Kisara is by going to work tomorrow and acting like nothing happened." Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard what I said and you heard what Kisara said too. She doesn't want you to help her. She wants you to let her handle it on her own."

"Why would I do that if she's clearly distressed?" Mokuba sighed and stood in front of Seto.

"Do you remember when we lived in the orphanage together? When we first started living there, you told me you didn't want anyone knowing that our parents died. Instead, you wanted me to tell them that we were in the orphanage because we decided our parents weren't good enough to raise us and that we left them all on our own. Do you remember that?"

"Of course I remember that. I didn't want anyone feeling sorry for us or taking pity on us."

"That's right! And that's what's going on with Kisara. She doesn't want your pity or your money or any of that… she just wants to be treated like a normal person because, like you, she associates being helped with being weak," Mokuba paused for a moment and added, "Which is something you both should probably go to therapy for some day but that's another part of the story."

Seto didn't even hear the last thing Mokuba said as he started nodding his head. It all became clear to him in that moment. It was obvious why Kisara had reacted the way she did… she didn't want to appear weak. She had even been willing to quit her job just to protect her dignity and her pride. It was strange to be retrospective because in doing so, he had become introspective and saw himself in Kisara's reactions.

It was then that Seto knew exactly what he had to do the next day at work. At four o'clock sharp, Seto entered his office to find Kisara was already there, sitting at her desk, typing away at her computer in the corner. Kisara looked up and immediately looked down when she saw it was Seto who had come into the room. They were completely silent as Seto was placing his things down and turning on his computer.

"Kisara." Kisara stopped what she was doing and looked up. Seto beckoned her to come over to his desk and Kisara did as she was asked.

"Yes Mr. Kaiba?" Seto handed her an enormous pile of various papers, folders, and files into her arms.

"I need you to e-mail me all my appointments I have this morning, call up all the employees on a list I have in there, tell them to send me their reports for the week, and organize the rest of that mess in my file cabinet for me within the next two hours." Kisara was surprised. She hadn't expected this but said nothing about it. She turned to go back to her desk.

"Oh and Kisara, one last thing," Seto said, causing Kisara to turn back around, "That wrist brace you have on? You're going to pay me back in full for it. I'll be taking it out of your pay check. Not right now but definitely within the next couple of months after you're more settled. Got it?" Kisara nodded and turned back around.

"Thank you," Kisara said quietly before walking back to her desk. Nothing more was said on the subject for the rest of the work day and both of them preferred it that way.

It was that same night, many hours since Kisara had returned home from work, that she sat in front of the phone and dialed in the familiar number. As she expected, the phone went straight to voicemail. She took a deep breath right before hearing the beep.

"Hey Mom and Dad, this is Kisara. I know you guys are probably at work right now but I just thought I'd leave you guys a message saying 'hello.' I've gotten all your messages and I'm sorry I haven't called you guys until now, but it's been a crazy couple of days. I won't fill you in on details but I just wanted to let you guys know that I'm okay and I love you and miss you two. I promise we'll talk soon." Kisara hung up the phone quickly, tears streaming down her face.

This time there was no shame or guilt that followed what had become her daily crying session because this time she knew for sure she was going to be okay. The way Seto had treated her at the office that day had given her the confidence to believe she was capable of surviving in another country without her family's support. Kisara would rather die than have someone pity her but she had never been a hundred percent sure she would be able to follow through with the decision she made to move away.

After today, though… she knew she was going to be alright. She knew there was a purpose for her here in Japan. Even if she was completely alone and even if she wasn't sure what purpose she served, she was happy just knowing that someday Japan would be her home. Knowing that was enough to assure Kisara that everything would be okay in the end.

* * *

**A/N:**_ And there ends the seventh chapter of "For Love's Sake"! A bit of a surprise for some of you since it's only been eleven days since I last updated. I felt extremely inspired so I was able to write up this chapter a lot quicker than I thought and I'm very content with how it all ended up. Thanks again for reading you guys and hope you enjoyed the update. Oh and today is my Granny King's birthday! So this chapter is dedicated to her with love. _


	8. VIII

"_Don't say if I were you,_

_Or tell me what to do,_

_How things would be if you were in my shoes,_

'_Cause you're not me."_

You're Not Me by Marty Bags

**VIII**

It was a few days short of two months since Kisara's big move to Japan and by then, things had finally become routine for her. Kisara had adjusted to the time zone, her wrist had fully healed, and she had managed to adapt to her school and work life at the same time. In doing so, she no longer longed to be with her family and friends living in Egypt. In fact, within the many business days she had spent working at Kaiba Corp. for countless hours of the day, she had also developed an understanding of her boss, Seto Kaiba—the closest thing to a friend Kisara had since her move. Sure, she had more acquaintances than she could count, but because her work sucked up the majority of her time, she never saw the point in developing friendships.

It was fine, she thought. She had Seto, and to some extent, she had Mokuba to entertain her and keep her from completely alienating herself socially. Besides, it wasn't like there was a need for friends or family when Kisara had everything under control. Within those two months, she had learned the basic tricks of the trade to working at Kaiba Corp. and living alone on her salary. Yes, Kisara felt she was prepared for anything with her close to two months of work experience at Kaiba Corp. No matter what situation life threw her way, she felt she could handle anything. All of those situations and more… except for this one.

"It's Nii-sama's birthday on the 25th. I just thought you should know because my brother is extra cranky on that day and since his birthday falls on a business day, I might suggest avoiding him as much as possible," Mokuba informed Kisara. Kisara stared at him with bewildered eyes.

"Why is your brother cranky on his birthday? Does he have a problem with getting old? Because he's only going to be turning eighteen…"

"No, it has nothing to do with age. It has to do with the date. Some bad stuff happened on my brother's birthday and he hasn't exactly gotten over it so it would be best if you don't make a big deal. Things will run smoother that way." Kisara pondered whether or not she should ask the next question that popped into her head. It was clearly a personal matter—personal matters being the matters her and Mokuba didn't usually discuss. Still, she couldn't resist trying to get answers.

"I hope it's not wildly inappropriate to ask, but what happened on his birthday?" Mokuba shrugged his shoulders and sighed.

"Listen Kisara, I like you. I think you're really nice and you're really good at what you do. I would even go as far to say that I consider you my friend," Kisara smiled as Mokuba continued, "But my brother feels that personal affairs should remain out of the workplace. I could even get in trouble if my brother ever found out I told you about his birthday so do me a favor: keep this to yourself and give my brother space, okay?" Kisara nodded, touched to know that Mokuba saw her as a friend.

"You got it. I won't let Seto know about this."

"Know about what?" Kisara and Mokuba froze at the same time. Mokuba was fully prepared to have his brother scold him harshly for the next half hour as he twirled around to apologize.

"I'm sorry, Nii-sama!" Mokuba blurted out before opening his eyes. The moment he did, he laughed. "Oh, it's just you Isono! You had me worried there for a second." Mokuba smiled and turned back around, "I don't think you two have met yet... Kisara, this is Isono. He was Nii-sama's assistant before you came along. He's also a long time family friend." Kisara observed the tall, lean man. His eyes were hidden behind shades, his hair was spiked, and he wore a plain black suit with a black tie and button-up shirt. He looked like an average forty year old man and yet there was a certain warm energy that accompanied him as he shook Kisara's hand. There was more to him than he appeared, Kisara sensed.

"It's a pleasure to meet you. I hope Mr. Kaiba hasn't been giving you too much work." Kisara laughed.

"Only enough to keep me busy, I guess." Isono didn't laugh, but he gave Kisara a smile of approval instead before turning back to Mokuba.

"Are you ready to go home, Master Mokuba?" Mokuba nodded. "I hope whatever you said to Kisara wasn't anything Seto wouldn't want her knowing about."

"Know about what?" Now Kisara twisted around and was startled to find Seto standing a few feet away.

"Nothing Nii-sama! Isono and I were just on our way out. See you later, Kisara!" Mokuba grabbed Isono and the two of them rushed down the hallway to the elevator, leaving Kisara and Seto alone. Seto looked to Kisara.

"What was that about?" Kisara had about five seconds to decide the ethics behind lying to Seto's face about what Mokuba had told her or telling the truth before Seto suspected it was something she wasn't supposed to know. Kisara went with lying to his face.

"Like Mokuba said, it was nothing. Are you looking for me?" Seto didn't give Kisara's response a second thought.

"I am, actually, and I'd much appreciate it if you didn't spend your time at the office socializing with Mokuba. There's a lot of work to be done and the day has only begun," Seto said as he began walking, leading Kisara to his office as he explained the to-do list for the day, "Now, first things first, I need you to fix the scheduling problem. There are too many employees that want to take days off at the same time, so I need you to make sure we still have enough people in each department for the company to manage alright for the next couple of days, okay? I've already forwarded all the e-mails I've received about it. Reply and deal with them as you see fit. Make sure to come up with a list before hand of everyone who wants to take time off and for how long. Are you getting all this down?"

Kisara was busy furiously writing down every word Seto was saying. Another skill she had developed in the duration of her time working was that she was able to write efficient notes while keeping up with Seto's fast walking pace. She had nearly perfected the art, but there were still a couple mishaps here and there, including the fact that her note-taking took up all her attention when she was doing it.

"Oh, and you should probably watch where you're going." Kisara looked up just in time to see herself trip and fall forward. Just before she plummeted to the ground, she swung her leg forward and caught herself mid-fall and brought herself back into regular upright position. Learning to walk and write wasn't the only skill she had perfected whilst working at Kaiba Corp. She now knew how to stand on her own two feet… and occasionally pick herself back up when she fell. Seto only directed a disapproving look her way as they both entered into his office.

"You really need to get a handle on writing and walking. You've mastered being able to do it, but the tripping is simply unprofessional."

"I'll work on it, I promise," Kisara stated before going to her tiny desk in the corner and opening her computer. It was then that there was a knock on the door and an employee walked in.

"Mr. Kaiba, you wanted to see me?" Seto twisted his chair around to see the man standing in the doorway.

"Ah yes, Mr. Katsu. Please, sit down. I need to talk to you about the next upcoming work days… days I simply cannot let you miss." Mr. Katsu became frantic immediately.

"But Mr. Kaiba, please. I need to take that time off. My wife just gave birth to our third child and—" Seto cut him off before he could explain any further.

"Mr. Katsu, I'm assuming you got the memo about taking off days. Right now, I need you here at work. You're the head of the Public Relations department. Business is slow and I need you to be on top of assigning people with what little leads we have right now."

"You don't understand, my wife is still recovering from the birth and we didn't have the money to keep her in the hospital for more than a couple days. She already has two very small children to take care of. I just need to be there for a bit to help her get back on her feet. If you would allow it, I could work from home and follow leads from there." Kisara couldn't help but look up from her computer and stare at Mr. Katsu as he laid his heart out in front of Seto, just begging for sympathy. Judging from Seto's face, Kisara could tell her felt none for the man.

"Working from home? I won't allow it. No one in this company works from home. It's not efficient, you'll be distracted and most important; people will get lazy. I need you here to make sure people follow through with their jobs. Now-a-days, Industrial Illusions is the company with all the clients, OUR clients, and slandering our name while they do it. I won't be made a fool of." It was then that Mr. Katsu's attitude made a switch.

"Mr. Kaiba, I know all you care about is this company but this company means nothing in comparison to my family. My wife needs me at home to take care of my children and that's exactly what I'm going to do, whether you like it or not. I'll continue to do my job but I won't leave my home to do it." Seto leaned back in his chair and folded his hands in his lap. He sighed.

"If that is your demand, then maybe you won't have a job by the end of the day. Then you can stay at home for as long as you want." Mr. Katsu's face went completely pale. Kisara stopped everything she was doing and rose from her seat.

"But Mr. Kaiba… I…"

"I run a business, Mr. Katsu, a very important one at that. I require your complete and utter dedication to do it. This company works as a unit and if you can't commit the time to do that, then I'll have to let you go."

"Please don't do this. I need this job!" Seto shook his head.

"I'm sorry Mr. Katsu… but I'm afraid you're no longer needed here at Kaiba Corp." Kisara walked past Mr. Katsu and over to Seto's desk.

"You need to stop this right now! He needs this job to support his family." Seto turned his head.

"Then maybe he should've put his work before his family."

"You're being unreasonable about this. You can't force him to choose between his work and his family in a situation like this. It's wrong!" Seto turned back to Mr. Katsu.

"Mr. Katsu, if you would, I need a couple minutes with my assistant in private. Please wait outside my office for my final decision." Mr. Katsu broke away from staring at Kisara with complete awe and admiration right before leaving the office. He shut the door behind him, leaving Seto and Kisara alone to settle the whole ordeal, boss to assistant. Seto rose from his chair and glared at her.

"You do not get to tell me what I can and can't do, especially not in front of an employee. I'm your boss, dammit, what the hell do you think you're doing?"

"I'm doing the right thing, that's what I'm doing. You can't possibly act like you feel no empathy for that man out there. I know you would do anything for your brother in any given situation. I can tell. You try to hide it because you don't want people to see your soft side but I know it and you know it, so stop acting like someone who puts work before family. It's hypocritical and it doesn't make you a good leader." Seto said nothing in response to everything Kisara had said, and it was the silence that made her realize she had just accused the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company of not knowing how to do his job properly.

Flashbacks of similar feelings from her meeting with Mr. Kazuko arose and it was the first time since then that she realized she really could lose her job for saying such things. Her heart was pounding in her chest and all she could think about was how she was going to keep herself from crying in front of Seto when he did finally say she was fired. She tried to take a deep breath to keep herself from falling completely apart as Seto opened his mouth to speak.

"Kisara, you do realize you've only been working for almost two months, correct?" Kisara nodded. She didn't trust herself to ever speak again. "You've got a lot of nerve for an assistant who's suggesting I don't know what it means to run a company I've been in charge of since I was sixteen years old. There have never been an assistant to say anything like that to my face." Kisara shut her eyes. She was positive Seto's next words were going to be that she was as good as fired as Mr. Katsu was.

"But I think I like that about you." Kisara opened her eyes.

"What?"

"Mr. Kazuko told me on the first day you started working here that you had a spunk that I pay attention to. Although I am not one who listens to anyone's advice often, I cannot help but take into account what he told me, considering he is one of the most successful business men in Japan. With that being said, I'll do something out of the ordinary, and keep Mr. Katsu around." Kisara was speechless. There were no words she could say to express the relief or the gratitude she felt for Seto not firing her right on the spot for what she said and even agreeing with what she said to a certain extent.

"Wow, do you really mean that?" Kisara asked without realizing how elementary and silly it must've sounded to Seto. Seto sat back into her chair and turned away from Kisara, re-opening his laptop and acting nonchalant about the whole thing.

"Sure. It's not like I have the time to train someone else to take his job anyway, so go tell Mr. Katsu he can keep his job and get back to work." Kisara nodded and did as she was asked, trying to hide her smile as she went to tell Mr. Katsu the great news. Seto began re-opening all of the latest documents and graphs he had been looking at but found it hard to concentrate on any of them. The truth was Seto had meant what he said. Even though he hardly heard anyone's words aside from his own when it came to business decisions, he couldn't help but see a bit of himself in Kisara.

Kisara's fearless fire that came through in certain situations reminded Seto of himself when he was lad, trying to get the previous CEO, his step father, to listen to his brilliant ideas. Seto could never forget the way his step father would shoot each and every one of them down, never even taking a second to consider whether they were good ideas or not. Not only had Seto known his ideas were good but he also wanted nothing more than to never be like his step father in any way possible. This gave him enough validation to follow through with Kisara's idea without giving his decision a second thought.

Though Kisara hadn't been working long for Seto, she had proven herself to be intelligent, possibly even brilliant. Not only that, but whatever strange feelings Kisara invoked within Seto had only seemed to grow more intensely the more time he spent with her. While Seto wasn't completely sure what it is he was feeling towards Kisara, the only conclusion he had come to in the last two months was that he had never experienced it before… and he liked it.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey everyone! Kari here, updating a couple days shy of a month from when I last updated… reminding me that this might be the first story where I actually include seasons and months in a story. Hopefully that won't be too hard of a task to follow through with. It's been a crazy though and with the semester over, I'm happy to finally have time to do some writing and updating. Now if any of you have been following me on Twitter, you'll know that I would really like to post the next chapter before the end of the year. I don't have any of it written now but because the next chapter is directly related to this chapter, I'm thinking I'll be able to do it. No promises though! You may even find me updating the day of New Year's Eve, but we'll see! Thank you all for reading and reviewing. Happy holidays!_


	9. IX

"_It was the wicked and wild wind,_

_Blew down the doors to let me in._

_Shattered windows and the sound of drums,_

_People couldn't believe what I'd become."_

Viva La Vida by Coldplay

**IX**

It was peaceful at Kaiba Corporation on October 25th. It had been since the early morning and even into the afternoon. The employees were busy, as they always were, working away. The chilly air wisped against the glass outside—the days had become colder as the hours of daylight shortened. The leaves were falling, the seasons were changing, and all was well with the world. Yes, it was calm in the office… that was until someone noted the time. Suddenly an employee stood up from his cubicle, disrupting the peace as he shouted, "It's nearly four o'clock! Take your places everyone!"

Those who had been standing in the lobby rushed back to their desks immediately. Others took several cups of water back with them in hopes that it would be enough to get them through the rest of the day. The halls had become deserted and bathroom breaks were taken in haste. The men in security scanned their surveillance cameras and left their station to tell the news. "He's here!" The office shrank in complete silent just as the elevator had opened.

"Nii-sama, I know how dead set you are on working every single business day there is, but don't you think you could take the day off, just this once?" Mokuba asked, trying his best to follow closely behind Seto's stomps as they approached his office.

"Nope, I don't take days off and you know that." Seto suddenly stopped in the middle of his angry walk and looked around. Everyone held their breath at the same time and pretended to be doing other things. "I know you people are watching me. The more attention you draw to yourself, the more likely I am to come after you. So it would be best if you just do your job, do it right, and get over the fact that I will fire you the instant you screw up." Seto continued his path towards his office. No one knew what caused such a foul mood, but the employees did know that on this day, every year, Seto Kaiba was the one man they had to avoid at all costs. Employees only approached him if absolutely necessary.

"Nii-sama, come on…" Seto stopped again and turned around.

"Mokuba, I know you want me to change my attitude, but that's not going to happen. I woke up this way, I've been this way all day, and I'm going to stay this way until today is over. Understand?" Seto spat, "The best you can do for yourself is stay in the lobby until it's time to go home, alright?" Mokuba glared at Seto and folded his arms. He hated how his brother was acting but he also realized there was nothing he could do about it.

"Fine… I'll be there if you need me," Mokuba mumbled, walking back to the elevator. Seto ignored his brother's anger by using his own to walk more briskly into his office, where he spotted something strange atop his usually barren desk. Seto's eyes went from the object to Kisara, sitting in the corner behind her computer. She looked up.

"Oh Mr. Kaiba, you're here! If you're wondering where the name plate came from, it's a gift from me. It's sort of a boss appreciation gift, I guess. You've been so kind to me ever since I started working here, so think of it as a thank you gift." Seto eyed the name plate more closely. Underneath a single purple bow, was a silver name plate that read, "Seto Kaiba—CEO." Seto gritted his teeth with annoyance as he turned his head back to Kisara.

"How did you find out about today?" Kisara's smile disappeared when she saw Seto's face. He looked beyond pissed. She had no idea what to say.

"I… don't know what you mean." Seto left his desk and walked over to her.

"I think you know exactly what I mean. I know what this gift is for and it's not a thank you. You knew it was my birthday today, didn't you?" Seto was standing right in front of her at that point, so close that she could practically smell his rage flowing out of him. Her knees begin to buckle beneath her.

"It was a lucky guess?" Seto's eyes narrowed.

"Never mention it to anyone! Got that?" Kisara nodded and turned back to her desk in a desperate attempt to somehow feel safe again. "Good." Kisara didn't want to take Seto's outrage personally. After all, it was her own fault for not listening to Mokuba's advice. She should've just called in sick today… Then there was a knock on the door and Kisara's heart stopped, fearing for the poor soul who dared to speak to Seto after the blow up that almost occurred moments earlier.

It was Mr. Katsu. The first question that popped into Kisara's mind was what Mr. Katsu was doing at Kaiba Corp. Since Kisara had suggested Mr. Katsu work from home to take care of his family, he hadn't set foot in the office, only leaving his home to attend mandatory meetings or meet with clients. The second question that came to her mind was why, of all days, he had picked today to come in. Clearly, Mr. Katsu wasn't aware of what day it was and what was worse was he looked like he had bad news.

"What the hell are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be having that meeting with the new hologram developers? I need you to meet with them now. Our newest product is set to be released in a couple months." Mr. Katsu looked down.

"I did meet with them… but it seems I was too late." Seto's eye twitched slightly.

"Explain yourself."

"They… told me they already signed with another company to develop their hologram technology. I was too late." That was it. That was all Seto needed to hear before something deep within his walls of sanity and collected calmness came bursting out of him like an atomic bomb.

"You were too late… you were too late? What did I tell you would happen? This is exactly what I predicted! You fool!" Seto directed his attention to Kisara, who shrunk in her seat, wishing she had a shield to protect herself, "You… I told you this would happen! You allowed this to occur! Get out of my office, both of you! Get out of my sight, get out of my office, and never come here again! You're FIRED!" Kisara couldn't breathe, she was so frightened. Mr. Katsu had the intelligence to run away but Kisara was completely frozen.

Seto wasn't finished, either. "Why are you still here? Are you waiting for something? Get out! GET OUT NOW!" Seto howled as he took up the name plate Kisara had given him and dumped it in the trash. That was only the beginning of his rampage… taking up the files Kisara had neatly stacked on his desk and throwing them in the air. He continued to toss and throw everything in sight; breaking his lamp, smashing the only picture on his desk, and throwing every loose object he could against the wall.

Kisara was petrified, but mostly for Seto. She was sure he didn't realize that his right arm was bleeding from the shard of glass that had flown at him when he smashed the framed picture on his desk and she was afraid the next thing he was going to break was the large window overlooking Domino City. He had to be stopped and Kisara had to stop him.

"Mr. Kaiba… Seto, please! Calm down! It's okay! We'll get new hologram developers, I'll get them. It'll be fine!" Kisara's yells were white noise to Seto. He couldn't hear her over his own thoughts. He had failed. The company had failed. Flashbacks from his childhood came back to him in five second scenes; his step father telling him he had failed, watching potential parents get in their cars and drive away from the orphanage, and his own self image as a child, wanting a better life for his younger brother.

Kisara concluded that Seto couldn't hear him within a couple minutes and stopped yelling. There had to be another way to reach Seto, and she only needed a second before she figured it out and ran back to her desk. Seto had destroyed or thrown everything on and around his desk, and now he was trying to flip his desk over. Kisara grabbed her computer and went back over to Seto. She clicked the spacebar and soft, classical music began playing.

At first, Seto didn't respond at all. His one track mind was focused only on flipping the empty desk in front of him which was much harder than he imagined. Seto wasn't in the state of mind to realize that he had used up much of his energy destroying everything he could grab but it was in his exhaustion, that the ringing began to soften as the music played. Seto let go of the desk and slowly stood up, looking to see where it came from.

Kisara was holding her computer out in front of her with her eyes closed shut, too afraid to see what he would do to her when he noticed the music she was playing. Maybe he would throw her out the window, or maybe he would batter her with the broken lamp, or maybe… She opened her eyes and saw Seto standing in front of her, staring blankly at the computer and then down at Kisara. Kisara lowered the computer as she began to notice something entirely different in Seto's expression.

She was positive that Seto was himself again, but it was like she was seeing him in a different light. Ever since Kisara had begun working at Kaiba Corp. she had noticed that Seto never really looked her in the eyes. Kisara wasn't sure how, but he had found a way to look around her, or to only make a few glances. It was like he had been afraid to really look at her, afraid of what he might see. Kisara had never questioned it but suddenly, there they were, looking at each other and seeing something they never saw before. Neither of them spoke, they only gazed as if really seeing each other for the first time.

So entranced they were in their gaze, they hadn't noticed the outsider standing in the doorway. Mokuba had come running there as fast as he could when one of the employees had told him that Seto was on a rampage. Mokuba could tell from the debris that that much was true… but he hadn't expected Seto and Kisara's interaction. He was amazed by what he saw. There was clearly some sort of connection between the two of them. Mokuba had to think twice before ruining the surprisingly intimate moment.

"Nii-sama, are you okay?" Seto snapped out of whatever trance he was in and reverted back to his normal self as he turned his head.

"I'm fine, and you?" Mokuba wanted to laugh.

"You're fine? Your office is a disaster area. What happened?" Mokuba took another look at him and noticed his arm, "Whoa, is your arm bleeding?" Seto looked down and saw the streaks of blood on his arm. He didn't say anything in response to what Mokuba said as he started waking towards the door.

"I think I'm going to take a break for the next few hours. Kisara, please cancel any appointments I have for the day and clean up this mess, thank you." Seto left the room and that was that. The minute Seto was gone Mokuba ran over to Kisara and stared at her in awe.

"What happened? What did you do to him?"

"What? That wasn't me! He hurt himself when he—"

"No, I mean… what did you do to calm him down? He's completely mellowed out." Kisara looked down at the laptop in her hand, still playing the same soft classical tune she had put on earlier. Mokuba's eyes widened. "That's how you did it? That's fantastic! How did you know that would work?" Kisara was just as bemused as Mokuba was, but she didn't have time to really think it through. It had been a long shot, but it had worked.

"I'm not sure. I just knew, I suppose." Kisara's mind was a little too preoccupied to answer Mokuba's questions. She kept thinking back to the moment she and Seto had shared and what it meant. Kisara desperately wanted to know what was going through Seto's head because if she didn't know any better, she would've thought that he…

"Well, I'm impressed, but you better get back to cleaning up this office. I'm going to go find Nii-sama and make sure he's okay, see you later!" Mokuba smiled and then left. Kisara shrugged and looked around at the mess that surrounded her on the floor. It was going to be a long day, but cleaning up the office was just the labor intensive job to keep her nerves at bay as she pondered what was going on with Seto.

* * *

It had nearly taken the whole day but it was finally done. The office had been cleaned, the files had been organized, and the broken equipment had been replaced. It had been hours since the end of her shift and the office was dark and desolate. Kisara was tired but content with the job she had done. Mostly she had focused on making the office look exactly like it did before Seto had trashed it, knowing that was what Seto wanted even though he hadn't asked.

She was just coming back after throwing away the excess trash when she saw the new lamp was turned on in Seto's office. There was a single piece of paper that was placed on his desk under the light. Kisara looked around, a little hesitant to go forward and take a look. She didn't know whether Seto had gone home or not, and despite the feeling that this broke some sort of privacy agreement, she inched forward and picked up the piece of paper. It was a newspaper article that had been written two years earlier. It talked about the changes in business at Kaiba Corp. A good portion of the article was about Seto and how he was the new CEO, taking over for his step father.

"I'm sorry about what you saw earlier today." Kisara's heart nearly stopped beating as she twisted around to see Seto standing in the doorway. He looked concerned, "Oh, I didn't mean to scare you."

"No, it's alright. What are you still doing here? I thought you went home." Seto shook his head.

"I decided to stick around. I had Isono take Mokuba home a couple hours ago. I wanted to make sure you cleaned up my office right…" Seto paused, "And I wanted to apologize properly. There is no excuse for my behavior earlier today." Kisara looked down at the paper in her hand and then back up at Seto.

"Apology accepted. I just have one question for you… what issue do you have with your birthday?" Seto's eyes looked down at the paper in her hand.

"Look at the date." Kisara scanned the article and realized it had been written exactly two years ago on that day, October 25th. Kisara still wasn't able to make the connection between the article and Seto's birthday. "You don't know me, Kisara, and you're not the only one. Many people don't know me. I like it that way and I keep it that way. It's no surprise that I wanted to be CEO of this company ever since I was adopted by my step father, Gozaburo." Seto paused.

"Still, truth be told, I'm not sure whether taking over this company was the right thing to do. It's true that I became the man I am today to give my brother a better life. And when I did, I made this company into something it wasn't, something it had never been, mostly because I was determined to never become the man my step father was. I did give my brother a better life, yes, but at what cost?" Seto walked over and took the newspaper clipping from Kisara's hand, staring deeply into the portrait of his father that was displayed in the article, "I've never really been sure whether I became a man worthy of running this company only to lose who I once was to get there."

Seto looked up at Kisara, "You never met my step father, but I can assure you he wasn't a noble human being." Kisara nodded and looked up at him. The darkness of the room hid most of her figure, but even in the low light, Seto was able to see her perfect blue eyes staring up at him.

"I know, I've read about him. I don't think you need to worry, though, because you're not like him. I may not know a lot about you, but I've seen more of you as your assistant than most people, so I get to see a fair amount of who you really are. You're a good person, and that's the only thing you'll ever need to know to understand that you are not and will never be the man your step father was." Seto's eyes widened. He had never heard anyone other than his brother say a nice thing about him before. He had to take a few moments to remember what he was supposed to say in response to being given a compliment.

"Thank… you." Seto felt those strange feelings again rising up inside of him as he saw her smile.

"You're welcome." At first, he thought he was feeling strange because it was the first time he had ever said 'thank you' to anyone before. He knew that wasn't it when he watched her turn and walk away. It was in watching her do this that Seto realized something he hadn't before.

He didn't want her to leave… he had wanted her to stay. It was in realizing this that another epiphany struck him. Seto didn't want Kisara to leave because he liked being around her… and in that moment, he finally understood what was going on with him. He liked being around her because Seto liked Kisara, in that way that people only do when they're interested in someone, romantically.

Seto was so dumbfounded by this fact that when he finally snapped out of his thoughts and rushed to offer Kisara a ride home, she had already taken a taxi. The only thing to figure out next was how he was going to deal with this, and what he was going to do to make these feelings go away.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey there, Kari here in the new year! Happy 2012, everyone! I know I said I would get this chapter up BY the new year but that just didn't end up happening. It got too crazy and quite frankly, rushing it was just making my work poor quality. Thankfully, it did make me write more than half the chapter by the time new years came around so that's how this came to be four days later. I hope you enjoyed it! I'm starting to really get excited because as I'm sure you can guess, it's about to get REAL interesting really soon. For now, thanks for reading and thanks for your reviews!_


	10. X

"_Memory keeps me back on my heels,_

_Like a cold wind,_

_Like a shadow,_

_It follows me round."_

Shadow by The Southland

**X**

Kisara wasn't concerned when she heard that it was supposed to snow that evening. In fact, she was skeptical if it would even snow considering it was only the middle of November and as far as she knew, it only snowed on Christmas. She didn't take into account that she was from a place where it never snowed therefore completely unfamiliar with how snow worked but she didn't really care. There were many other things on Kisara's mind that day and snow wasn't one of them.

Seto Kaiba was the main person boggling her mind as of late. Despite sharing a strangely intimate moment on Seto's birthday, recently Seto hardly gave Kisara the time of day. Their interactions at school had vanished completely, though there weren't many to begin with, and the only times he would even be physically near her was when he was dropping things off on her desk for her to do. Otherwise, he was either never in his office or if he was, he completely ignored her at his desk. He stopped giving her rides home after work. He wouldn't even look her way when she would hand back files or paperwork and Kisara couldn't make sense of it.

She thought she had felt something between the two of them that night, a deeper connection of sorts, but that feeling was dashed as Seto spent more time trying to stay away from her. Maybe Seto felt it was wrong to have that sort of connection in a boss/assistant relationship? Kisara didn't want to get too caught up thinking about it. After all, Seto was just her boss not… something else. So she wrote it off as nothing and continued working away each day at the office like nothing was different. This was a surprisingly easy task, she found, when she focused only on her work.

That day, however, Kisara had noticed that Seto wasn't in class and she couldn't help but wonder why. She hadn't seen him the whole day and not once had Seto ever missed a day of school. Maybe there was a meeting he had to attend that day that he simply couldn't miss? Usually he didn't plan things that interfered with his school life… nor did he plan things that Kisara wasn't informed of. She was sure she would get answers when she went to work later that day and saw him in the office.

To her surprise, she arrived at the office at exactly four o'clock to an empty desk. Not only was his desk empty, Kisara could also tell it had been untouched since yesterday. It was then that Kisara became concerned. Missing school was one thing but missing work was a completely different story…

"Mrs. Amaya, did you see Mr. Kaiba come in today?" Kisara asked Mrs. Amaya, the woman who worked at the front desk. She shook her head.

"No, Mr. Kaiba didn't come in today. In fact, he called in to say he wouldn't be coming in. Oh, and that since he won't be in today, he also said you could take the day off. I'm sorry I forgot to mention that earlier when you first came in." That certainly didn't make sense to Kisara. Even though she knew she wasn't supposed to care about what was going on with Seto, something inside her was just dying to know and she was determined to find out.

* * *

When the doorbell rang, Seto dropped everything and ran to the door.

"I'm glad you're finally—Kisara?" Seto's facial expression changed dramatically. "What are you doing at my house?"

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to intrude," Kisara said, apologizing immediately, "It's just that you weren't in school today, and then you called in to work and said you weren't coming in and…" Seto stone cold expression didn't budge one bit through-out her explanation. "I don't know, I guess I shouldn't have come. I should go." Kisara knew that was her cue to leave, but before she turned away she heard a tiny voice call out to Seto.

"Nii… sama…?" Kisara looked up and saw Mokuba standing at the top of the stairs, his upper body draped on the railing as he was looking down at them. He was dressed in his pajamas and looked like he could collapse at any moment. Kisara couldn't believe how sickly the boy looked.

"Mokuba, what are you doing out of bed?" Seto went up the stairs and picked Mokuba up in his arms, bringing him back into his bedroom. Mokuba groaned in pain as Seto gently set him down back into bed. "Kiddo, you shouldn't be walking around. You need to rest." Mokuba's big gray eyes and pale face looked up at his older brother.

"I thought it was the doctor."

"No, I still haven't reached him yet… all the secretaries keep putting me on hold. I don't think they know who I am but when I'm through with them..." Seto sighed, "It doesn't matter. But don't worry about a thing because your big brother has it all under control. The cook called in sick because of the dumb snow storm, so I'm learning how to cook chicken soup from the internet, I'm going to bring you up some water, and I plan on going out and buying something to bring down your fever."

"I know how to make chicken soup." Seto twisted around and saw Kisara standing in the doorway. Mokuba gave a weak smile when he saw her.

"Hi Kisara…" Mokuba said drowsily before closing his eyes and drifting off. Seto slowly inched away from Mokuba's bed side and walked out to meet Kisara in the hallway. He closed Mokuba's door and turned to her.

"Look, I don't need your help."

"But I know how to make chicken soup… and take care of sick kids. I was a pretty popular babysitter back in Egypt."

"I don't care what you know or what you were. You're my assistant, that's it. You don't help take care of my brother. You don't deal with my personal matters. That's Isono's job. And the only reason he's not here is because this is the one week he takes off to go visit his mother." Kisara could sense a bit of frustration in Seto's voice, but she knew it was probably from the stress. She figured that Seto must've been up all night trying to take care of Mokuba to the best of his ability until the morning when he could try and get a doctor to make a house visit. His dull, tired eyes gave away the whole story. "Besides, it's your day off. Go home."

"If you're worried about me charging you for this, I'm not going to. It just so happens I care about your brother. I consider him my friend." Seto opened his mouth to say something but his phone began to vibrate. He looked at the caller I.D. and saw it was from Domino City Hospital. He could also hear Mokuba calling him from inside his room. "Just let me take care of Mokuba so you can deal with the doctors. It's as simple as that."

Seto's eyes narrowed as he stared directly at her, the coldest glare she had ever seen. While she knew she was supposed to feel threatened, she couldn't help but note that it was the first time in weeks that he had looked directly at her. It was true, Seto did terrify her but he intrigued her more than intimidate her. All of the sudden, Seto grabbed her by the wrist and held it tightly in his hand as he used his other hand to answer the cell phone. Kisara's eyes widened. She was no longer intrigued, she was scared speechless.

"Can you hold for one moment?" Seto said into the phone before lowering it, "Now you listen to me, Kisara… that's my little brother in there and if anything should happen to him, you WILL be fired. My brother is the most important person in my life. Should anything befall him, your life will end, business-wise, for the rest of your stay here in Japan. I will make sure of it." Kisara slowly nodded with understanding as Seto slowly let go, his eyes never leaving her until she re-entered Mokuba's room and closed the door behind her.

Seto wasn't ready to accept help, anyone's help. He hadn't been the type of person to even seek help but in his situation, he was painfully aware that help was necessary. That was why he decided to let Kisara take care of Mokuba. It was the only way he was going to be able to do all the things that needed to be done. Seto may not have been the type of person to ask or accept help, but he was smart enough to know when he needed it.

Though his heart was heavy and filled with doubt, he did what he did best; shut away his feelings inside of himself and focus on the next step that needed to be taken. He couldn't worry about Mokuba right now. He had to believe that Kisara could take care of his younger brother to the best of his abilities. To his surprise, it didn't take long to convince himself that was possible. To his surprised, he realized… he knew she could and that was the reason why he had accepted her offer in the first place.

That didn't change the fact that Seto was stuck, though. The one woman he had sworn to stay away from was now in his house, taking care of his younger brother. Seto didn't have the time to ponder how the hell he was going to make that work but being a Kaiba, he was sure he would find a way by the time the day was finally over.

* * *

Kisara came into Mokuba's room with a cool rag and another glass of orange juice. "Hey buddy, how are you feeling?" She asked as she came over to his bed side, removing the empty bowl by his bed that had once been filled with chicken noodle soup and another empty glass that sat beside it. She replaced the items with the new glass of orange juice. Mokuba turned his head to look at Kisara.

"I feel much better actually, especially after drinking your soup. Thanks for that… it was really good." Kisara smiled.

"Why thank you, Mokuba! That's sweet of you to say. I made a lot of that soup so your brother can heat it up for you tomorrow. If you keep taking it easy and eating right, I can assure you that you'll be feeling better soon. I made that soup with…" Kisara trailed off when she saw that Mokuba was beginning to close his eyes. Kisara smiled again, carefully reaching over and slipping out the remote from Mokuba's hand right before she clicked it off. It was nearly nine o'clock at that point so she knew it was probably time for her to head home.

"Thank you, Kisara… for everything," with his eyes still closed, Mokuba reached out and touched Kisara's hand. Kisara pulled up the extra blankets at the bottom of the bed and placed them over Mokuba, tucking him in.

"It was my pleasure, Mokuba. Sleep well and I hope you feel better." Kisara gave Mokuba a little pat on the head before switching off the light. She crept out of the room as slowly as possible without making too much noise. When she turned around, she saw Seto standing out in the hallway, watching her through the crack in the door.

"Hey Seto," Kisara whispered, slipping out of Mokuba's bedroom and closing the door, "I think Mokuba's gonna be able to sleep for the rest of the night. He's feeling a lot better but he needs to stay in bed if he wants to—" Seto wrapped his arms around Kisara and brought her in, his body pressed against hers.

"Thank you for taking care of my brother today. I know he's better, I can tell… he means everything to me." Time came to a full stop for Kisara. At first, she stood completely motionless as a billion thoughts went through her head all at once. What did this mean? Was this legal? Would this be considered sexual harassment? Then without thinking, almost instinctively, her arms came up and wrapped around Seto's waist, returning the kind gesture.

Her mind went blank as she lowered her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, openly embracing the first hug she had received since the day she had left Egypt, letting the warmth of Seto's body consume her. As she let her senses melt into a euphoric state of mind, she couldn't help but feel good being in Seto's arms. For the first time in months, she finally felt right, she felt happy, and she felt security. A security that no one had ever provided to her except for…

Kisara opened her eyes and quickly shifted away from Seto, detangling herself from his arms. "I have to go." Kisara didn't look Seto's way as she moved past him, down the hall and towards the stairs. Her heart was pounding so fast she was worried she might have a heart attack right then and there as she sprinted down the stairs. Her hands were shaking, her head was sweating, she couldn't think straight… and knowing that scared the daylights out of her.

Only once in the past had someone made her feel such feelings and she had promised herself it would never happen again. It couldn't happen again and Kisara was going to make sure it wouldn't. Tomorrow afternoon she would quit her job, switch schools, and never speak to Seto again. That was the plan and she would stick with it. When she opened the door to leave the Kaiba Mansion forever, however, she saw something she had never seen before.

It was snowing.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey every pony! It's HiKari here with another update. I was originally going to wait until Valentine's Day (aka: the one year anniversary of this story first being published) to post the next chapter but I decided I was far too excited to wait that long. I was surprised how long it did take me to write this chapter because more than half of it was written last time I updated but this chapter ended up taking much more time than I realized. I was very unsure about a lot of things, especially where I ended this chapter, but I may end up re-writing some stuff if that's the case. Anyway, it's been really awesome receiving and reading your reviews! I hope you've enjoyed the chapter and hopefully there will be another chapter soon because I'm thrilled about what is to come in this story. Thanks for reading! Have a nice weekend!_


	11. XI

"_Maybe we're perfectly not meant to be,_

_Or more alike than we're willing to see._

_Maybe we're not meant to not disagree._

_Maybe we're crazy, baby."_

-All That We Needed by Plain White T's

**XI**

There was a thick white blanket covering the entire outside world in front of her. Kisara's big blue eyes widened with wonder and awe as she watched small white flakes fall from the sky and continue to bury Domino City. She couldn't believe it… it was snowing! Without a second thought, she took a step forward and let her foot sink into the snow. She felt like she was stepping on clouds and a smile overtook her face. She ran around, leaving footprints all over the walkway and front yard.

Kisara continued to do this as her distressing thoughts disappeared from her mind completely. She loved playing with the snow, balling it in her hand, tossing it in the air, and tasting it in her mouth. She hardly even registered that her body had become numb from the chilled air; she wasn't dressed at all for the weather. Her glee was interrupted when she twisted around whilst dancing in the snow and caught sight of Seto standing in the doorway… staring at her like she was a crazy person. She froze immediately.

"What are you doing?"

"I've never seen snow before," Kisara stated in a matter-of-fact tone, trying to justify how strange she must've appeared to Seto.

"How are you getting home?" Kisara hadn't thought of that. The safest way to get home would obviously be a taxi but there probably weren't many that would be able to come and get her in this weather. She frowned with the realization that she may not be able to get home. Seto had come to this conclusion far before he had even asked the question; it was the reason why he had come downstairs in the first place.

Seto sighed. "I suppose I could set you up in one of the guest bedrooms for the night. The plows won't be here until the morning. You can leave then." Freezing to death sounded a lot better to Kisara than spending the night at the Kaiba Mansion. Seto was the person she had just been trying to run away from, the person she never wanted to see again, and the person who made her feel... She shook her head and crossed her arms.

"That's quite alright, I'm sure I'll be fine walking home on my own."

"You're going to walk home, in a snowstorm?"

"Yep, that's what I just said," Kisara turned around to begin her venture back to her apartment. After taking the first step, she looked down at her feet and realized that she was wearing sneakers… and that she couldn't feel her feet anymore as a result. She shrugged before saying, "See you later!"

Seto rolled his eyes. Kisara was obviously going to make this difficult for him. That didn't concern him too much, though, since he had something that would bring Kisara back to her senses. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys, giving them a little jingle. Kisara stopped and stared. Then she was pissed.

"Hey! Those are the keys to my apartment! How did you get them?"

"You left them in my house and if you want them back, you'll have to come and get them." Kisara gritted her teeth. Was Seto trying to mess with her or something?

"Are you trying to bribe me to sleep over at your house? Because that's pretty creepy and I'm sure it's against the law." Seto shook his head with disdain and tossed the keys over to Kisara. She clumsily caught them in her hand.

"Nope, I'm only trying to keep you from making a dumb decision. It's not like I have time to train a new assistant because my old one decided to freeze to death but if you really feel that way, then you can get the hell off my property." Kisara bit her lip. It was nearly ten o'clock at night by then and it was starting to get bitterly cold. She was already freezing and a walk from Seto's house to her house would take hours. She didn't have much of a choice, or rather a much more intelligent choice that she could make.

"Fine, I'll stay over," Kisara grumbled, walking back towards the house and into the Kaiba Mansion. "You better not be up to any funny business, though." Seto closed the door after her as she was taking off her shoes.

"Never in your lifetime, Kisara, believe me. And that actually would be against the law," Seto said dully, "You can sleep in the room across the hall from Mokuba. It'll have all the necessities you require and even suitable sleepwear. I'll most likely be in my office for the remainder of the night which is down the hall to the left. If you need anything, you can let me know." Kisara nodded and followed Seto up the stairs. When they reached the top, Seto turned left to return to his office and Kisara turned right.

"Seto…" Seto stopped, "Thank you for your hospitality." Seto said nothing and continued on into his office. Kisara wearily walked to her room and collapsed on the bed. She was exhausted. After changing into some pajamas left in the drawers, she got into bed and fell asleep within seconds. She was far too exhausted to think, contemplate, or even make sense of what had happened earlier that night and it made it much easier for her to sleep.

* * *

It was five in the morning and Seto was just starting to feel tired. He hadn't the slightest clue what was keeping him up so late, but there was something giving him great inspiration. He had gotten so much work done over the course of the entire night and had even plotted out some new inventions. As thrilled as he was, his excited mind couldn't ignore the fatigue that was finally starting to catch up to him. Five in the morning was rather late for him, Seto reasoned, but he didn't want to sleep.

He wasn't sure what it was that was giving him such inspiration and such desire to stay awake. Seto could hardly pretend that it had nothing to do with Kisara sleeping over. The only other person to ever sleep over at his house in the past was Isono a few times, but only for emergencies. Seto never had guests over and certainly never had over-night guests. It freaked him out and almost kept him on edge as a result. Seto also couldn't forget the mental pledge he had made to stay away from Kisara.

Seto had managed to keep it up for a while and yet, there she was, taking care of his brother and then suddenly sleeping over. What was wrong with him? Was he secretly doing this to himself? Seto started viciously rubbing his eyes. It was late and his eyes were beginning to burn from staring at the computer screen. He had to at least try and go to bed…

"Seto?" Seto was sure that he was hearing things but decided to turn back and look anyway.

"Kisara, what are you doing up?" Kisara walked into the room and sat down on the couch opposite to Seto's desk.

"I wake up at four in the morning. What are you doing up?"

"I fall asleep at four in the morning."

"Oh." There was a sudden awkward silence in the room. "Seto, I'm sorry for how I acted last night. I was being rude." Seto raised an eyebrow.

"What brings this up?" Kisara shrugged.

"I take an hour to meditate when I wake up in the morning. It's the only time of day I really have to think about things." Seto crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair.

"Apology accepted. I understand, anyway... how I acted was inappropriate and I don't know what came over me. I'm sure it just had something to do with me being happy Mokuba was okay." Seto hadn't even allowed himself time to process what it was that he and Kisara had shared nor did he even attempt to figure out where that hug came from. Seto didn't hug people. He wasn't a hugging person to begin with. His behavior around this girl continued to baffle and confuse him the more time he spent with her.

"It's okay, I wasn't offended or anything. I figured it was probably just about your brother." Kisara got up to leave, "I think I'm going to try and see if a cab will come and get me now."

"Wait, Kisara. I have one last question for you." Kisara slowly sat back down, "I don't mean to be invasive, but I'd like to know what it was that brought you to Japan in the first place. I'm sure I haven't heard the real reason since you've changed your story quite a bit in the past." Kisara was taken aback. What did it matter to Seto why she came to Japan? Though she couldn't ignore how kind he had been to her and considering she was still planning on ditching Domino City forever the moment she left his house, she thought she would humor his request.

"You want to know why I came to Japan?"

"I wasn't planning on begging to hear the answer." Kisara sarcastically chuckled.

"Alright, I'll tell you why I came to Japan, the real reason. I came to Japan because a couple months ago I was in love with the biggest jerk I have ever met… an even bigger jerk than you, if you could believe it. Yep, I was in love with a complete loser and after a year of dating, he broke up with me for no reason. Just, you know, out of the blue. Suddenly I was too boring for him. Suddenly I didn't make him happy. Suddenly… he realized he couldn't get into my pants and decided to bail. I was with that jerk for an entire year—I went through hell trying to make us work because I was hopelessly in love with him. And what did he do? He took that love, spat on it, and told me it didn't matter anymore.

"As if that wasn't enough… he never left me alone. After he told me we were through, he continued to mess with my heart and head. He would tell me he loved me and then later that night would tell me how many women he planned to sleep with now that he was single. No matter what I did, I felt imprisoned by my own feelings and there was no escape. So, I decided to leave. Neither my friends nor my family knew what was wrong; all they knew was that I was going to Japan for a better life and for better job opportunities. And that was that. I left my family, friends, life, everything… just so I could get away from him."

Kisara was near tears at that point, all of her frustration seemed to flow out of her mouth without any realization. She hadn't meant to tell him the story in such great detail as she did but she had no control. She hadn't noticed that her hands had balled into fists and suddenly the room had become very hot. Emotions were stirred up within her… as they always did when she thought about _him_. Seto remained quiet for a moment, collecting his thoughts, she supposed.

"Well? Don't you have something clever to say about all of this? That's the real story. That's why I moved all the way from Egypt to Japan."

"I do have something to say about that," Seto began, "That's probably the dumbest thing I've ever heard. You're an idiot." Kisara didn't even think through the next few thoughts that went into her head. She began looking around for the nearest blunt object to throw at him. When she couldn't see one within grabbing distance, she decided to yell at him instead.

"Oh, okay, BE A GIANT ASS. I don't care what you think of me! I mean, why even ask me for the story if you were just going to tell me that I'm stupid for leaving?" Seto got up from his chair.

"Because," Seto stated, "You deserve better… much better. You deserve better in your life and in a man. To be thinking that guy is worth any amount of your time makes you a moron. Still, if that's your reason for coming here, I'm glad you left. I would've done the exact same thing." Kisara unclenched her hands and let her arms drop to her side in amazement. Was Seto... complimenting her? She was in complete shock. She barely knew how to react to such a thing.

"Do you really mean that?" Seto nodded.

"Of course, I was in a similar relationship—not a romantic one—but the relationship with my step father had the same effect on me. I thought about running away every single day I lived with him."

"If you wanted to run away, why didn't you just do it?" Seto's eyes shifted from Kisara to the doorway as there was a low creek from the door being opened. Kisara looked to see what it was that was interrupting their conversation and instead saw Mokuba, staring confusingly back at her.

"Kisara, what are you doing here? I thought you went home last night." Seto walked past Kisara, scooping Mokuba up into his arms and giving him a hug.

"You've got a lot of questions for a kid who's up at five in the morning. What woke you up? Are you still feeling sick?" Seto placed one hand on Mokuba's head. "Your fever is gone. That's good to know."

"I don't feel sick at all, Nii-sama. I actually feel a lot better. I woke up because I heard talking and I was worried you were up talking to yourself." Seto laughed and Kisara was in disbelief. She had never heard Seto genuinely laugh before. The morning continued to surprise her.

"I'm sorry our talking woke you up. Kisara's only over because…" Seto walked Mokuba over to the window and lifted the blinds. Mokuba's eyes widened when he saw all the snow that was on the ground.

"It snowed last night? That's awesome!"

"It actually started snowing last evening, but you were so sick you didn't notice." It truly was fascinating for Kisara to see Seto's soft side, a side that was almost never shown in the workplace. Still, she couldn't help this feeling that she was intruding on some very special moments. It was time for her to leave.

"And I was just on my way out the door. Thanks again for letting me stay over, Seto. I think the roads are clear enough that I can catch a cab home." Mokuba's head turned back when he heard this.

"You're leaving right now? Why don't you stay for breakfast?" Kisara shook her head.

"That's extremely kind of you but I really must be going. I wouldn't want to overstay my welcome. I'll see you two later!" Kisara quickly slipped out of Seto's office and back to her room to grab her things. They had already been packed so the only thing left to do was put on her shoes and walk out of the door. In doing so, she kept thinking back to her and Seto's conversation. _'I would've done the exact same thing.'_ Kisara wished she had heard Seto's response to her question. Why hadn't he done the exact same thing?

With her sneakers properly dried and tied, she set out the door and to the newly plowed street, flipping out her cell phone as she did. Walking through the snow, she figured out Seto's answer all on her own. _'My brother is the most important person in my life.'_ A couple years back, Kisara had read an article about Seto that attempted to reveal his childhood and his rise to power with what little sources that existed. After their parents died, Seto and Mokuba were left in an orphanage without a penny to their name and no chances of ever having a better life.

That was until Gozaburo Kaiba, one of the most prominent business men in Japan and CEO of Kaiba Corp., came to the Domino City orphanage to donate money as a publicity stunt and ending up coming home with Seto and Mokuba as his two new sons. That slice of Seto's history was known by everyone; Seto had challenged Gozaburo to a game of chess and if he were to win, Gozaburo was to adopt him and his brother. Gozaburo, also being known as a world renowned chess champion in addition to being a brilliant business man, had no choice but to accept the challenge and the wager that came with it without foreseeing that a ten year old would have the skill to beat him at his own game.

Kisara stopped when she finally reached the street and stared at the Kaiba Mansion. It was all clear to her now. Seto had planned to challenge Gozaburo that day he came to the orphanage. He had planned to make that bet and he had planned to win. He had done all these things because he knew that was the only way to give his younger brother the life he felt Mokuba deserved. All that Kaiba Corp. was, that the Kaiba Mansion was… was all for Mokuba. Not for the fame or glory, but for his younger brother, the only family he had left in the world.

"Hey lady, did you call for a cab or what?" Kisara snapped out of her thoughts. She hadn't even realized the cab had gotten to her already.

"Sorry about that," Kisara said, getting into the cab and shutting the door. She watched the Kaiba Mansion as the cab slowly pulled away and began to leave. There was something more to this man, Seto Kaiba, something deeper than she ever could've imagined. Maybe she didn't need to run away from this one. Maybe he was a man worthy of her time and feelings. Maybe, just maybe… they could work.

Kisara wasn't mentally or emotionally sure she was ready for any of this but she was at least willing to stick around and find out.

* * *

**A/N:** _Greetings, readers! Kari here updating my story exactly 20 days from the last time I posted and feeling pretty good about it. Today is not only a special update day, but it's also my birthday! I think this is the first time I've ever posted a chapter on my birthday. But yeah, happy birthday to me! I turned 21 today! Not only that, but it's also Ash Wednesday, so happy Ash Wednesday! Back to the story, I was so thrilled and excited when I finished this chapter, I'm already halfway through the next chapter so hopefully that will be up soon. Thanks for reading, thanks for caring, thanks for being wonderful, and thank be to God! Have a wonderful day, folks. And a happy birthday to George Washington, too!_


	12. XII

"_When everybody else is getting out of bed,_

_I'm usually getting in it._

_I'm not in it to win it,_

_I'm in it for you."_

If it's Love by Train

**XII**

"_Mr. Kaiba?" Seto swung his chair around to find Kisara standing in his doorway, looking at him with curious eyes, "Did you call to see me?" Seto nodded. _

_ "Yes I did. Come in." Kisara slowly entered the office, closing the door behind her. "What's with all this 'Mr. Kaiba' stuff? Don't we know each other a lot better than that?" Kisara looked down and bashfully smiled. _

_ "Oh Seto, you know that's what I call you when we're at work. It's more professional." Seto rose from his seat—he too was smiling as he inched closer to her. _

_ "Is that why you have your hair up today? You want to look more professional?" Kisara's hair was tied into an extremely long pony tail, something Seto himself had never seen before. The look suited her, though, without her bangs in the way, Seto could fully admire the beauty that was Kisara's face. Kisara could see that Seto was looking at her in this way and turned red. _

_ "Oh, Seto, what is it that you're looking at?" Seto took one step more and suddenly Kisara and Seto were standing right in front of one another, only centimeters apart, their bodies just barely touching. Seto gently took hold of one of Kisara's hand, causing Kisara to hold her breath for a moment and look up at him in surprise. _

_ "You, Kisara, it's always been you who has held my gaze all this time, ever since you started working here." The cute and embarrassed smile changed, suddenly, to a more seductive and keen smile. Kisara's hand slipped out of Seto's hand and pushed Seto down onto the couch behind him. Seto was so shocked that he could say nothing in response as she walked over to him. _

_ "I'm happy to hear that, Seto. I've had my eye on you for quite some time as well," Kisara climbed onto Seto as he was laid out on the couch, motionless, "It's about time we did something about this sexual tension between us, isn't it?" Seto gulped and nodded. Kisara loosely wrapped her arms around Seto's neck before puckering her lips and moving in for the kiss. Seto closed her eyes, ready for the first kiss he would ever experience—_

"Nii-sama, wake up!" Seto jerked forward, his jaw colliding into Mokuba's skull and knocking him over. Mokuba fell backwards off the bed and landed with a loud thump onto the floor. "OW! Nii-sama, JEEZ! That hurt!" Seto twisted his head and looked down.

"What happened? Where am I?" Seto frantically looked around at his surroundings, not immediately recognizing where he was, "What day is it?" Mokuba got up, looking rather disgruntled with his brother.

"You're at home and it's the same day it was when you fell asleep."

"Where's Kisara?" Mokuba's disgruntled look was replaced with confusion.

"She left about a half hour ago, around the same time you fell asleep. You told me you were going to take a shower and come downstairs to make me breakfast, but you fell asleep so I made you breakfast instead!" Mokuba looked cheery and proud, presenting a plate of deformed pancakes to Seto's face. While Mokuba had, in all his innocence, made pancakes in spite of the fact that Seto didn't eat pancakes, he still took the plate from his little brother and smiled.

"Thanks, Mokuba. These look great."

"Thanks, Nii-sama! Now about Kisara… what's up with you two? I was out of it most of the day yesterday so I couldn't ask, but what was with her showing up here? Did you ask her to come and take care of me?" Seto became defensive.

"What? Of course not! I didn't ask her, she just showed up here. And I didn't ask her to take care of you either, she volunteered. I don't know why, she's just weird." Mokuba rolled his eyes, taking the plate of pancakes from his brother's hands and placing it onto the bedside table. With the most serious face the thirteen year old could make, he sat down beside Seto and readied himself for a mature heart to heart.

"Will you just admit you like Kisara already? You're not fooling anyone." Seto looked practically insulted to hear such words come out of his younger brother's mouth.

"LIKE her? Oh please, Mokuba! I can hardly stand her!"

"Then why was she one of the first things you asked about when you woke up?" Seto looked down and folded his hands in his lap in contemplation.

"I… well… I had a dream about her while I was sleeping." Mokuba's eyes widened.

"Whoa! Really? Nii-sama, you totally like her!"

"Since when does having a dream about someone automatically mean that you like them?" Seto snapped, rising from the bed to pace back and forth in the middle of the room.

"Because she's the first person you've dreamed of that didn't give you a nightmare." Seto paused from his pacing and looked back at Mokuba, completely astonished. Mokuba grinned with delight, crossing his arms across his chest with pride. Mokuba was right. Never in his life had he dreamed of someone other than his step father beating him, or his younger brother in trouble, or his company falling apart… she was the first person he had had a pleasant dream about.

"What happened in the dream?" Mokuba asked after giving Seto the appropriate amount of time to take in what had been said. Seto looked away in embarrassment.

"We were, uh… kind of, about to kiss." Mokuba leaned forward on the edge of the bed.

"And… did you kiss? In the dream, I mean." Seto shook his head.

"No, we didn't. I woke up before anything happened," Seto paused and then continued, "But the weird thing was that… I don't know. I kind of woke up… wanting to kiss her." Seto crossed his arms and turned away from Mokuba, feeling abashed to even be revealing such things. Still, it was true, and he had wanted to kiss her. Not to mention that dream was the most sexual dream he had ever had which made it strange, enjoyable, and confusing. "I don't understand why I dreamed about that."

"It's because of all that sexual tension you and Kisara have, DUH! I learned about it in health class. It's this thing that two people feel when they like each other and think the other person is hot or something." Seto turned around towards his brother, looking angry and disgusted.

"What? Your school taught you that? That's absolutely barbaric. I should take you out of that school. And for the record, I don't think Kisara is, 'hot' or anything similar to that word." Mokuba rolled his eyes. His brother could be so blind to his own emotions that it made conversations like this seem meaningless. Nevertheless, he wasn't going to give up on making Seto realize the truth.

"Okay, so you don't think she's hot, but she's definitely beautiful."

"Of course she is! …Hey, wait, I didn't mean to say that!" Mokuba grinned.

"Why won't you just admit the truth? Or at least admit it to me? I'm your younger brother and last I checked, we told each other everything. What's changed?" Seto turned away again, embarrassed by what he was about to say next.

"It's not just that I'm afraid to admit the truth to you but more that I'm afraid to admit the truth to myself. I've never 'liked' a person before… or at least, not in the way that I 'like' her. I'm not even sure if I'm really feeling the things I feel or if I'm just going crazy."

"Oh, you're going crazy, alright… crazy about KISARA!" Mokuba burst out laughing.

"Mokuba, this is serious. I've never felt this way before and I'm not sure that I should." Mokuba stopped laughing and got up.

"So you like a girl… so what? This is a normal thing that happens. In fact, it's a great thing. You've finally met someone you can stand being around that isn't me." Seto shook his head.

"No, it isn't supposed to be this way. I'm not supposed to 'like' people or be attracted to anyone. I'm Seto Kaiba. I love you and I love Kaiba Corp. but that's it. I'm not supposed to want anything else in my life except those two things. I've never wanted anything else for myself." Mokuba walked over and grabbed a hold of Seto's arm, bringing Seto's attention back down to him.

"Nii-sama, I know this wasn't the way you were raised. I know Gozaburo tried to beat all human emotions out of you but love… love is part of being a human being. Human beings are meant to want love in their lives." Seto rolled his eyes.

"That has to be the dumbest thing I have ever heard you say."

"Well, it's true! And I still don't see what the problem is with having a girlfriend."

"Maybe the problem is the fact that I don't know what a relationship is. Or the fact that I don't know what a relationship entails," Seto stated as he began to pace again, "I don't know if I'm meant for something like this… and with another person? What happens when I mess it all up? I've never taken a risk I didn't think I could win."

"That's the thing, though, isn't it?" Seto stopped and turned back to Mokuba, "The fact is that being in a relationship with someone is a risk you take without having any idea of what will happen down the road. But you know what? That's why people go for it. That's why there are so many movies and books about love. Because taking that risk is both exciting and scary and not knowing what will happen next makes it the greatest adventure of all."

"Wow… Mokuba, how are you thirteen and you know all of this?"

"Oh, I read it on the internet somewhere. People blog about that kind of stuff all the time! Anyway, does this mean Kisara's going to be your girlfriend?" Seto sat back down on the bed and let his arms drop to his sides.

"I don't think it's as easy as that."

"Sure it is! All you have to do is ask her out." Seto shook his head.

"No… first she has to like me back."

* * *

By the time Kisara had gotten to her apartment, changed into pajamas, and gotten into bed, it was 6:30a.m. Despite the fact that on most days, she would already be out and about, running errands and getting ready for school at that time, she was exhausted from her encounters with Seto the night before and earlier in the morning. Not only that, but she had gotten a text not too long ago letting her know that school would be closed for the day because of snow.

Placing her phone by her bed, she curled under the covers and prepared to let herself fall into a deep slumber. It was then that her phone went off. At first, she ignored it, figuring it was another useless text from the school, thus allowing herself to drift into a place where none of that would matter. The phone continued to ring, however, meaning someone was calling. Kisara opened her eyes and grabbed her phone. The caller I.D. read, "Cleopatra" and despite her exhaustion, she answered.

"Hello?"

"Kisara, it's about time you picked up your phone! I've been trying to reach you for weeks. Where have you been?" Kisara smiled at the sound of her best friend's voice. It had been weeks since they had talked. In fact, Kisara hadn't tried calling once since she had moved.

"Cleo, you realize it is 6:30 in the morning here, right?" Cleopatra laughed.

"As if that even matters, I know you wake up at four a.m. Who do you take me for?" Kisara smiled and sat up. Cleopatra was the same as she had always been since they were kids; fun and straight to the point.

"I know, I know. I'm just joking. How are you?"

"Well, to be honest, I'm pretty peeved that you left. I mean, you didn't even bother telling me that you were going to move. I had to find out from your parents. What's the deal with that? You can't even say goodbye to your best friend?"

"You know it had nothing to do with that, Cleo. I didn't tell anyone I was leaving except my parents. I didn't want to make a big deal of it," Kisara paused, "Though I suppose the real reason I never told you in the first place was because I knew you would be against the idea."

"You're damn right I would've been! Still, it takes a lot of guts to do something like that, so I can't say I'm not impressed. I just wish you could've told me at least. I would've tried to be supportive after a while, I know moving to Japan was something you had always wanted to do and you're my best friend so I'm always going to stand by whatever decisions you make. I love you like that." Kisara could feel tears welling up in her eyes. Just to hear her best friend's vivacious voice was enough to bring her back to the memories they shared together, growing up and going through everything. She hadn't realized how much she missed Cleopatra until then.

"I really am sorry for leaving and I'm especially sorry for not telling you."

"Eh, it's okay. I get it, anyway. You're a free spirit and I wouldn't want you to be any other way. Now that that's out of the way, how is it there? Are you going to school? Do you have a job?"

"Everything is fine. I'm living in Aunt Senbi's apartment. She's pretty much never here which means I have to have a job to be able to live. The funny thing about the job I have is that… I'm working for Kaiba Corp." Kisara held the phone away from her head as Cleopatra squealed with excitement.

"Are you serious? You're working at Kaiba Corporation? I can't believe it! Do you ever get to see Seto Kaiba around there?" Kisara smiled with delight, knowing Cleopatra would get a kick out of what she was about to say next.

"Actually, I see him practically every day. Get this, not only do we go to the same school, but I'm his assistant at work. Isn't that crazy?"

"That's probably the coolest thing I've ever heard. I mean, you're working with a celebrity! You must be making a ton of money if you're working for him. What's he like? Do you guys get along or is he a total jerk like they say in all the papers?" Kisara fell silent. She wasn't sure whether she should reveal to Cleopatra everything that was really going on or not but after living on her own for so long with no one to talk to, she felt she had to.

"Actually… I just came back from spending the night at his house." Kisara could hear Cleopatra gasp into the phone, "Before you get too excited, it's not what you think… although I'm afraid it's starting to become that."

"Are you saying that you like him? Is that what you're telling me? I need to hear all the details right now!"

"I think I do actually like him and it scares me to even admit that to myself right now," Kisara said, tightly holding the phone against her ear as the anxiety began to well up inside her.

"What are you talking about? That's great! I bet he likes you too. After all, what's not to like? He's totally hot, Kisara. I'm jealous!"

"But Cleo… you know what happened the last time I liked a guy. Heck, you know what happened the last time I was in a relationship with someone. It went terribly wrong and I'm not sure I can go through that again."

"You're crazy to even attempt to compare Seto Kaiba to that loser. Come on, Kisara. You're in a new country, a new school, a new job, and this is a new guy. You can't let the mistakes of your past ruin your chances of truly being happy with someone."

"Yeah, I guess you're right. I better go though, I have stuff I need to do soon."

"Alright girl, I love you and call me once and a while! Don't go forgetting about your best friend, got it?"

"I got it. Love you too, goodbye." Kisara hung up and lied back in bed. Kisara was aware that Cleopatra knew a thing or two about life and it was why she felt she could trust her judgment but that didn't change the fact that the only reason she had moved to a new place was to runaway from the exact thing she was about to get herself into; a liking for someone, a relationship, or worse… falling in love.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey there everybody! Another update on the "For Love's Sake" train and I hope you enjoyed it! This was a bit of a difficult chapter to do since… it's really just talking. It's important talking, but talking nonetheless. Oh, and there was a dream sequence at the beginning too. I just realized after writing this chapter that I almost always put in a dream sequence or two when I'm writing my stories, isn't that strange? I don't know, maybe it's because I dream every night and I think my readers will find them just as important and interesting as I do, haha. On another note, I think most if not all of you have noticed that I write review replies using the system they have set-up (this is the first story where I do that instead of writing them into the chapter). I do find it to be more convenient, but I feel bad for the anon reviewers who write me some of the sweetest reviews ever! I try to include a general "thank you" to all my readers at the end of each chapter to express my love to the anon reviewers, but I just had to bring some extra attention to them because I got a super sweet batch of reviews for last chapter. One person even wrote that they read my entire story twice and didn't find any mistakes, which is a super sweet and probably not true but an incredibly kind thing to say all the same. On another note, I've decided to try and update once every month on the 12__th__ from now on. I just figure I'll enjoy having a set date for myself and you'll enjoy that too. Sorry this was so long, thanks for reading!_


	13. XIII

"_The remedy is the experience,_

_This is a dangerous liaison._

_I say the comedy is that it's serious,_

_This is a strange enough new play on words."_

The Remedy by Jason Mraz

**XIII**

School was out for nearly an entire week because of the snow. It wasn't until Friday that school began at regular hours, businesses had resumed, and life had once again returned to its normal routine… or so it would seem. Although the rest of the world had seemed to be running right back on track, something in the air was different and there were only two individuals who were aware of it. Seto and Kisara hardly even looked each other's way that day until they were forced to later on at work.

Seto walked into the office, expecting to see Kisara in her regular business attire, doing the regular work-related things she always did at the beginning of her shift. Though that was true when Seto walked in, taking that first glance at her seemed to be different than any other time he had seen her before in the past. There was something different about her, something even more beautiful than there ever had been before.

It was apparent that realizing his true feelings for Kisara had caused him to look at her in a different light. He suddenly began to recall the feelings he felt on the day he first laid eyes on her. There had been something strange, something peculiar about her that Seto simply couldn't comprehend. It was in that moment that he realized his feelings of weirdness had arisen only to mask his feelings of attraction. Kisara truly was beautiful. And as Seto stood, staring at her for over two minutes without her noticing, he began to realize she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

Kisara turned around and saw that Seto's eyes were staring right at her, specifically at her outfit. "Good afternoon," Kisara said, breaking Seto's trance and causing him to look up into her eyes, "How are you?" It was clear that even during their usual, meaningless small talk, there had been a shift in their relationship. Though neither of them could pin point what it was exactly, both had a faint idea of what it concerned; the first of the matter being Kisara's looks.

"Kisara, you look… different. Your outfit, is it new?" Kisara looked down at herself before looking back up and shaking her head.

"Nope, just something I threw on…" Kisara stated, disregarding the fact that although her outfit wasn't new, she had put the extra effort into her appearance that day. Instead of simply brushing her hair until it looked halfway decent, she had spent an hour combing it to perfectly, even putting in a small floral pin into it. Instead of wearing her comfortable and cute flats with straight pants, she was wearing a fashionable skirt with high heels. None of it was flashy or too much, but apparently just the right amount to get attention. "Do you like it?"

"Yes, actually," Seto stated, "I like it, a lot." There was a silence that ensued, causing both parties to feel extremely awkward. For a full thirty seconds, nothing was said between them. Both were trying to find the right words to say, if there were any right words to say at all. It was then that Seto closed the door to his office and decided to be a man by breaking the silence.

"Look, Kisara, I've been thinking…" Kisara placed down the files that were in her hands onto the desk in front of her, reaching into her pocket to take out something.

"I have been too."

"I'm not very good at this but I was wondering if you'd like to—go somewhere, with me, some time." Kisara's eyes widened.

"Oh," Kisara said in surprise.

"Oh?"

"I mean, sure. I'd love to. Where were you thinking?" It was then that Seto's eyes widened. He had almost been sure he was going to get rejected. He had to take a few moments to remember what he was supposed to say next.

"Well, maybe I could show you around Domino City some time. Has anyone done that for you yet?"

"No, no one's done that for me though I have been living here for almost three months now so I kind of have the gist of the place already."

"Allow me the pleasure to give you a real tour of the city. It's the least I could do for you." Kisara raised an eyebrow. All of this was so out of character for Seto. Could it have been the high heels? Kisara couldn't lie that Seto had been involved in the decision to wear them to work. She had wanted to look pretty that day… and though she would never admit it out loud, she had wanted to look pretty for him. Kisara looked down.

"Alright, that sounds like fun. Thank you." And just like that, it was done. Kisara and Seto were scheduled to hang out the following day, Saturday, and meet around eleven a.m. to tour Domino City together.

Kisara didn't know what to expect as she waited in front of the empty Kaiba Corp. building. The parking lot was completely deserted save for one or two cars. The building was locked as well. Not a soul was around since it was Saturday. Everyone was at home, going about their own business, running errands or spending time with their families. And yet there Kisara was, awaiting her boss and her friend, and letting her nerves get the best of her.

It had taken her nearly two hours to decide what to wear the night before, not to mention two hours to actually put on the clothes as well as her make-up the morning of. The thing that bothered her most was wondering what it meant that she and Seto were meeting outside of work and school for the first time. Did it mean anything or was it simply a thank you for helping with Mokuba?

No, she reasoned, since Seto had given her a hug as a symbol of his appreciation. At the thought of Seto's arms around her, Kisara's heartbeat began to beat even faster and suddenly she felt like she could hardly stand on her own two feet. She sat down, feeling positively exhausted from the mental toll she was putting onto herself.

"Kisara, I'm surprised to see you here already," Kisara's head jerked up and saw Seto approaching from the parking lot, "How long have you been waiting?" Kisara jumped to her feet.

"Not terribly long. I calculated the bus time wrong… I don't usually take the bus at this time of day," Kisara put her hands together nervously.

Without realizing, Seto stopped and took a second to observe Kisara's outfit. She was wearing a slim, soft pink dress that was flowed at the bottom and was frilly at the top. There was a slight slit at the top, exposing just the slightest bit of skin. The dress hugged her tiny waist before softly flowing down along her legs. She was absolutely awe-inspiring in that dress.

"So… shall we go?" Kisara asked as she began to walk towards Seto's car, assuming they had a great deal of driving and walking to do that day as they toured Domino City. Seto shook his head as he took out a card key from his pocket.

"Oh, we're not taking my car. Follow me," Seto gestured towards the Kaiba Corp. building, swiping the card key and opening the door for her. Kisara was confused but walked into the building as Seto insisted. The two of them got into the elevator and Seto pressed a button Kisara had never noticed before. She said nothing and decided to see for herself what Seto was planning. When the elevator opened, they were on the roof of the building. A helicopter was parked right in front of them.

"What's going on here?" Kisara asked, turning back to look at Seto. He grinned.

"You didn't think we'd be driving around the city like a bunch of common folk, did you? I am Seto Kaiba, after all. I own this city." Kisara raised an eyebrow.

"You own this city, huh? Are you telling me you know how to fly a helicopter?" Kisara said in a skeptical voice.

"I also ride motorcycles in my spare time," Seto said with a grin. Kisara rolled her eyes, but there was a smile in plain view suggesting that she was rather impressed with Seto's abilities. Seto didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but he was starting to think his charm was working… whatever charm he had to begin with.

"Well, I've never ridden a helicopter before, so I'll let you lead the way." Just as Kisara suggested, Seto walked over to the helicopter and opened the door. Kisara was hesitant for a moment as she gauged how high she needed to lift her leg to step onto the lowest step. Seto gingerly offered her his hand and helped lift her into the seat. He couldn't help but note how nice her hands felt in his. He had never felt skin that was so soft.

When they were all settled and buckled in, Seto started up the helicopter and they were off. They first rose to a reasonable altitude before they began flying over the city. Kisara leaned forward and looked down, seeing Domino City in a way she had never seen it before, scanning the land below.

"This is amazing! Domino City is more beautiful than I thought it was!" Kisara said. She looked all around as they cruised along in the sky, looking for a part of the city she was familiar with. Everything looked so different from this altitude. It was hard to believe it was the same city she had been living in. Kisara jumped with excitement and pointed down. "Hey, that's my apartment! Do you see it?"

Seto looked over and down to where she was pointing. "Indeed it is," Seto stated, "If you look over to your right, we'll be flying over our school pretty soon too." Kisara's head turned and sure enough, it was their high school, same as it had always looked.

"It looks like there's a gate on top of the roof, are students allowed up there or something?"

"Not anymore, but once in a while you'll see a teacher or a student up there smoking a cigarette," Seto looked around as he titled the helicopter slightly, changing trajectory of the helicopter. Kisara unexpectedly slid into Seto's side. "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that turn was going to be so tight."

"No problem," Kisara said, awkwardly looking in the opposite direction and back out the window. They continued to cruise along, Seto pointing out different landmarks and neighborhoods within the city such as the Game Shop, library, Kaiba Dome, aquarium, and the bullet train. Kisara listened and observed without saying a word for the majority of the ride. Eventually Seto became quiet and there was silence between them, save for the propellers of the helicopter.

"I think I'm going to turn us around, we're nearing the borders of the city."

"Hey, I recognize that place!" Seto turned to Kisara.

"What place?" Kisara pointed to the left.

"Isn't that the orphanage you grew up in?" Seto looked down to find they were just hovering above the Domino City orphanage. Seto hadn't even realized he was flying over that part of the city.

He turned to Kisara, "How did you know that?"

"I studied everything there was to know about you before coming here, remember? It was my dream to work for Kaiba Corp. ever since you took over… I've been following your story ever since."

"That's flattering to know, though I imagine working as an assistant wasn't exactly the job you had in mind when you decided you wanted to work at Kaiba Corp."

"No, but I knew I would have to start somewhere before I worked my way up," Kisara grinned.

"I'm going to take a wild guess that you were hoping to take my job some day, is that right?" Kisara laughed to hide her embarrassment.

"What can I say? I was a little girl with big dreams… and I don't think I realized at the time that we were the same age. You always looked much older in the pictures." Seto was smiling, too, and once again silence had fallen upon them. "Before we go back, I was wondering… can I see the house you grew up in? You know, before you went to the orphanage." Seto didn't say anything for a moment and for that moment, Kisara was worried she had crossed the line.

"Sure," Seto said after a long pause, one which Kisara couldn't interpret as good or bad, "It's not too far from here, actually. Right on the outskirts of the city," Seto launched the helicopter forward and over a quaint, little suburb only a couple miles away from the orphanage. "That's the one, right there, that's where I grew up." From that height, the house didn't look like much of anything. It was a reasonable sized house, not nearly as big as the Kaiba Mansion, but it was a place Kisara could see Seto and his brother growing up in, if only for the short time that they did.

"It's a beautiful house." Seto turned the helicopter and started heading back towards Domino City.

"It's getting late. I hope you don't mind if I fly us back to headquarters. Is there anything else you can think of that you didn't see?" Seto asked. His smile had disappeared from his face, replaced with the serious look that he always had on at work. Kisara sunk into her chair and shook her head, feeling guilty that she had possibly offended Seto.

"No, there's nothing else. Thank you for doing this."

"It was the least I could do." Kisara decided if she just kept her mouth shut for the rest of the ride home, she couldn't mess things up any further than she had. To her surprise, Seto spoke once more, "I actually had a bit of a personal question for you too if you wouldn't mind answering."

Kisara turned towards him, "Not at all. What is it?"

"I'm just curious about your apartment. Do you live there by yourself? I know your parents still live in Egypt but I can't imagine you were able to move here alone. But I also never hear you talk about anyone. Didn't you say you were living with your uncle at some point?" Kisara folded her hands in her lap.

"Actually, it's my Aunt Senbi that I live with but I haven't seen her since the first day I came here. She gave me a ride from the airport, gave me the keys to the apartment, and gave me her cell phone number before she left to go back to Tokyo. So yeah, I essentially live on my own."

"What does she do in Tokyo?"

"Oh, well she basically lives there. She's a big time movie actress and she only owns the Domino City apartment because she never took the time to get rid of it when she moved. It ended up being a good thing because when I called her up and told her I was coming, she already had a place I could live in. My parents don't know she's never around and that I'm on my own, but that's because I don't want them to worry. All I knew was that I had to get out of Egypt and fast, and Domino City was the only other place I had ever wanted to live."

"And that's because you wanted to work at my company?" Kisara looked forward, gazing out the window. She let her body sink into the chair and her hands falls to her sides as she stared out across the city in front of her. The sun was beginning to set, and a bright, warm orange filled the once bright blue sky in front of her.

"That was the idea, though after doing this I have to admit I've fallen in love with the city's beauty too."

"If you think that's beautiful, wait until you see the most iconic building in all of Domino City." Seto did another turn and Kisara looked forward. "There it is." Kisara smiled as they approached the Kaiba Corp. headquarters, in all its architectural beauty and finesse. The bright orange seemed to be originating from the building itself as the sun began to set. Kisara's heart seemed to melt just from the sight of it all.

"That truly is the most beautiful sight I have ever seen, don't you agree?"

"Yes, it truly is." Kisara turned to see that Seto was staring at her, smiling. Kisara's mouth opened slightly. She thought she was going to ask what Seto meant by that, staring at her in such a way, but she was able to figure it out all on her own. Seto took his eyes away as they began to descend back down onto the building. "Here we are."

Kisara quickly undid her seatbelt and tried to open the door when they landed, "Alright, well thanks for the ride, but I really should be going." She tried pulling and pushing every lever that looked like it would open the door.

"Let me help you with that," Seto said, undoing his own seatbelt and trying to help her out. Kisara finally opened the door herself, though, before Seto could.

"Goodbye Seto," Kisara said before jumping out of the helicopter.

"Kisara, wait! Hold on. Where are you going?" Seto got out himself, worried he had somehow offended Kisara to the point where she no longer wished to speak to him. When he got out, he saw Kisara, standing still and staring. There was a small, round table with two candles and a full course meal set. There were two waiters standing by, welcoming her. She twisted around and stared at him.

"Is this… a date?"

"Was it not already?" Kisara nervously laughed as she rubbed her arm repeatedly and stared at the spectacle in front of her.

"It's one of those things that's hard to tell, I suppose."

"I could imagine. It took me forever just to decide what candles to use." Kisara put a hand on Seto's arm, causing him to look down at her.

"Look, Seto… I like you. But knowing that, especially telling you that just now scares the hell out of me." Seto nodded with understanding as the uncertainty of where the conversation began to build up.

"I know and I feel the same. Look, I'm fully aware that this was a stupid idea, but I thought…"

"No, this was a great idea. In fact, this has been the most wonderful evening I've had in a long time. But I just got out of a really terrible relationship so I'm terrified of jumping into something new." Seto turned his head away.

"If that's how you feel, you can go. It really was a stupid idea to begin with, so I apologize for putting you through that." Kisara didn't let go of his arm, causing Seto to look back at her.

"You don't have to take it that way, that's not what I'm saying. What I'm trying to say is that we should get to know each other first, I think, before we go any further. Does that make sense?" Seto took a moment to try and make sense of it all. Sure, it wasn't the way he thought the evening would end but he also had to acknowledge the fact that he wasn't sure how the evening would end. He hadn't known what to expect to begin with so he reasoned that this was a better result than how it could've gone.

"It does," Seto held out his hand, "And you've got yourself a deal." And there it was; an opportunity to get to know each other and all Kisara had to do was shake his hand. She was scared, as she had been all evening, of countless things and shaking his hand would only be adding to the worries she had.

It was then and only then that she decided she didn't care anymore about all the fears that plagued her, slapping his hand away, and pulling Seto into a hug. As the sun set beneath them, they both knew deep down that their lives would never be the same again.

* * *

**A/N:** _Andddddd END SCENE! This was a bit of a long chapter, not sure if anyone noticed, it went over my usual word count for a chapter by about 1,000 words so that was a little treat right there. There was just so much to fit in, I couldn't resist, I just had to keep going. Each chapter keeps getting harder and harder to write but I'm starting to think it's because this is a romance story involving Seto so I suppose I'm not supposed to feel natural writing this chapter. Aside from story stuff, life has been pretty hectic this past month so much so I almost thought I wouldn't be able to update on time but somehow I did. :] I think the real trick now will be trying to update on time next month since the date will be finals week, but I'll find a way to manage. After all, writing is the only way I'm able to maintain sanity and your reviews have definitely helped. I've had a couple days where everything in the world has gone wrong and then I come home to find a review that brings my spirits up. So thank you, all of you, and I hope you enjoyed reading!_


	14. XIV

_"Just the two of us, we can make it if we try,_

_Just the two of us, just the two of us._

_Just the two of us, building castles in the sky,_

_Just the two of us, you and I."_

Just the Two of Us by Will Smith

**XIV**

She was nervous… frightened, even. She wasn't sure why. It couldn't have been that she was scared… right? After all, what did she have to fear? All she was doing was sitting in a restaurant waiting for Seto to show up for their date. That was when Kisara buried her face into her hands. She couldn't believe she was about to be on a first date with _thee_ Seto Kaiba… or was it a second date? Obviously the romantic helicopter ride was a date because Seto had said it was… sort of. Nevertheless, she hadn't known it was a date to begin with so maybe that meant it wasn't the real first date and this was.

Just thinking about whether she was about to be on a first or second date was making her nervous, taking up the glass of water on the table and downing half of it as she looked around. The fact that the most popular restaurant in Domino City was currently empty as she was sitting here didn't ease her nerves either. She had tried asking one waiter upon entering why no one was around but he was reluctant to answer. She wondered if she was about to be murdered and again, her thoughts spiraled into questions and worries that seemed more and more outrageous the more she thought about them.

As the clock struck seven exactly, Seto walked in wearing a simple black suit and tie, but looking absolutely dashing nonetheless. Kisara rose from her seat. Seto was clearly surprised to see her at the restaurant, already seated. Kisara was wearing a simple black dress that fit her well and made her look stunning. Seto was determined not to let Kisara's looks distract him, though.

"Kisara, you're early again. Did you mishear the time set for dinner?" Kisara shrugged.

"Oh, you know me… always getting those bus times wrong."

"We could've solved this problem had you let me pick you up." Kisara looked away, crossing her arms behind her back and clearly embarrassed.

"I just didn't think it was proper. Not yet, at least." It was quiet between them until Seto broke the silence.

"Well, why don't we sit down and order dinner?" Seto gestured for Kisara to sit down before snapping his fingers. Within seconds, a waiter arrived by their side.

"Can I start you two off with something to drink?"

"I'd like some more water, if you wouldn't mind," Kisara said, sheepishly.

"Same." Kisara waited for the waiter to leave before speaking up again.

"So what's with the empty restaurant? Is it a national holiday for everyone else except us or something?"

"Nope, I just rented out the restaurant for the evening. I don't like to hear the pointless chatter of other people while I eat."

"Oh, I see…" Kisara looked around at the vacancy of the restaurant. Now knowing that she wasn't being set up to be murdered, she could fully take in the beauty and sophistication of the restaurant. It was probably the classiest restaurant she had ever been in, she realized. "This is quite a restaurant. Have you been here before?"

"Maybe once or twice in my life, but not recently," Seto got comfortable in his seat before leaning forward and taking a swig of ice water, "So, shall we get started with this 'getting to know each other' business?" Kisara straightened herself in her seat. Seto had only been sitting down for five minutes and already the date was getting awkward. Maybe it was because he was trying to conduct their date as if it were a business meeting? Kisara couldn't be sure, she was too nervous to tell.

"Oh, okay. Sure. What do you want to know?"

"So you're from Egypt." Seto voice was so cold and direct; Kisara almost didn't know what to say next. It took her a few moments to respond.

"Cairo, Egypt. I'm from there… born and raised." Kisara looked around the room nervously, "Any other questions?"

"I know you have parents, so what about siblings?"

"No siblings, just me. Speaking of siblings, how's Mokuba taking to all of this?" Seto leaned back in his seat.

"He's fine with it. In fact, he's happy about the whole thing. He was beginning to worry I wouldn't—" Seto suddenly seemed uncomfortable, "I suppose he was worried I wouldn't ever find someone I was slightly… you know where I'm going with this." All was quiet between them once again. They sat there, blank-faced, trying to look at everything except each other. Instead, they looked at the menu, gave their orders to the waiter, and tried again at conversation.

"I'm sorry this isn't the greatest date but you have to understand that I've never done this before. I don't know what I'm supposed to do or talk about," Seto said, breaking the silence with his own humility. The first sign of Seto being human caused Kisara to smile and to see her smile, caused Seto to follow suit.

"It's really okay, Seto. I understand. I'm sure I'm not much help to the situation either, it's kind of been a long time since I've been on a date before."

"You mean since you and that boyfriend broke up, right?" Kisara looked up.

"I think that's a conversation for another night."

"Oh yes, of course. I'm sorry," Seto had to think of something quick to talk about that was neutral. How could he have forgotten not to bring up the ex-boyfriend on the first date? He had gotten curious, he supposed, but now he was faced with the problem of talking about something else that wasn't about the weather. Seto looked up as the food was being served.

"Enjoy," the waiter said, giving a little bow before turning away and leaving. It was then that Seto thought of something.

"Do you enjoy living alone?" Kisara stopped just before taking her first bite.

"What?"

"I mean, what's it like living alone?"

"Oh… um… wouldn't you know? I mean, you basically live on your own. Although I suppose Mokuba's there, so it doesn't count." Kisara sighed and tried to think of a way to describe it. "I guess it's okay. The only thing that's hard is that it's so expensive and being broke all the time can be really stressful." Seto gave Kisara a quizzical look.

"You're completely supporting yourself? What about your parents, won't they help you?"

"Oh, they do. They send me what they can but money's sort of tight since my grandparents live with them so it's hard. All the money they do send, though, I'm saving for business school," Kisara said with pride, "What about you? What are you doing after high school?" Seto crossed his arms and smirked.

"Nothing. I'll graduate, continue running my company, take care of my brother, and live out the rest of my life. Those are my plans." Kisara chuckled.

"I'm not going to lie, that does sound like a pretty good deal. Maybe someday we'll be running rival companies."

"What? You want to run a gaming company?"

"I do love the game." Seto perked up in his seat, astonished and impressed.

"You do?" Kisara laughed.

"Well, I used to love it when I was a kid. Then people stopped playing with me so I stopped too. It has been a while but I still know how to play. We should definitely duel some time. I'll beat you for sure," Kisara said with a wink. It was then that Seto laughed a real genuine laugh. Kisara hadn't heard a real genuine laugh out of Seto in all the time she had been working for him and it made her feel like they were really beginning to connect.

"I'd love to know what your parents think of you wanting to run a gaming company."

"My parents are actually fine with it. They're laid back like that. It's my grandfather who still isn't convinced of the idea."

"Oh? What does he think you should do instead?" Kisara sighed.

"I don't know and I don't think he knows either. I guess maybe he still remembers what Kaiba Corp. used to be and doesn't agree with what it is now. You know how old people are, they hate change." Seto put down his fork and became very serious. Kisara was still focused on the food in front of her and hadn't noticed. "Speaking of your step father… what ever happened to him? Wasn't he the old CEO of Kaiba Corp.?"

"He's dead." Kisara stopped what she was doing and looked up. The expression on Seto's face had completely changed since she had last seen him laughing.

"He's dead? But I thought I read somewhere that he disappeared…"

"Nope, he's definitely dead."

"Oh… I'm sorry," Kisara wasn't sure what else to say. She hadn't been thinking when she had initially brought it up. Though to be fair, she wasn't fully aware of the condition of Seto's relationship with his step father, Gozaburo. Nobody knew. No one had ever gotten close enough to ask.

"It's alright… but that, too, is a conversation for another night." Kisara nodded in agreement. Despite getting the sense that this was unmarked territory of conversation, she felt there was one question she needed to ask.

"So if your parents and step father are dead… who's left?"

"I don't have anyone," Seto stated firmly, "Technically, I have aunts, uncles, grandparents, etc. but when my parents died, the only thing they were interested in was my parents' savings and assets. They didn't even care about my brother and me… so when we were sent to the orphanage, I disowned my family and told my brother we had no one but each other."

"That's terrible… did none of them try to contact you?"

"It wasn't until I became one of the wealthiest men in Japan that they became interested in having a relationship with us, but it was too late. By then, I had spent more than half my life living on my own with my brother, so there was no need to pretend I suddenly wanted a family."

"Did Mokuba want to have a relationship with them?"

"I never asked. I simply told him that they weren't our family and he never argued. It wasn't like Mokuba had ever known anything different… I've basically been raising him since he was born."

"Wow. That must've been hard for you…" Kisara looked down.

"What? Cutting them off? Not at all, they had it coming…"

"No, I mean… to take care of yourself and your brother without any help at such a young age."

"I wouldn't say that…" Seto said, looking down at the knife in his hand, deep in thought, "I've been taking care of Mokuba basically since he was born. My mother died giving birth to him and my father died five years later in a car accident. I was the only one who took care of him. I dropped out of school for a while just so I could."

Kisara said nothing. Seto seemed to be in another place, lost in a train of memories as he stared blankly down at the table, "I never regretted it. I don't regret a single thing I've done for him… I would've never known what it means to care for or be cared for by another person if it weren't for him. I honestly don't know what I'd do without him… which makes him my greatest weakness, a weakness others exploit when they want to get to me." Seto slammed the knife down onto the table, causing Kisara to jump.

Seto looked up, the noise breaking him out the trance of recollection he had been in. He blinked his eyes in bewilderment, "I think I had originally planned for that story to be for another night as well. I'm sorry to darken the mood." Kisara gave him an assuring nod to let him know it was okay.

They continued talking for a while, bringing the conversation back to more neutral topics. They talked long after they had finished their meals and longer than they had planned to stay out with one another. Conversing had suddenly become natural for them after that moment of brutal honesty, and they had had a fine time just sitting and learning more about each other.

"Sorry to interrupt, but we're going to have to close soon. Here's the check," the waiter said, slipping the check onto the table. Kisara and Seto both put their hands on the check and looked up. Seto chuckled.

"Kisara, you do realize this is a date, right? Allow me to cover the check."

"Of course…" Seto lifted his hand, just as Kisara pulled it away, "Right after I calculate how much I owe you. Her playful smile disappeared when she read the amount. "And from the looks of it, I may not be able to pay you back for a while." Seto snatched the check out of her hands.

"It's a date, Kisara, let me pay it."

"That wouldn't be fair, though… especially considering how much it cost."

"I know how much you make and there is no way I took us to the most expensive restaurant in Domino City just so you could pay your share." As Seto signaled the waiter to come back to retrieve the check along with Seto's credit card, Kisara handed him a napkin with "I O U" scribbled on it. Seto raised an eyebrow.

"Look, I know I don't make much, but I'm not a charity case." There was such seriousness in Kisara's voice when she spoke.

"This isn't charity, this is me… taking you out on a date and paying for dinner. I'd rather be remembered for our great conversations than for how much money you spent on dinner." The seriousness disappeared and Kisara smiled.

"Fine… but just this once. Next time, I'll make sure to save up a week's worth of my pay before we go on another date." Seto reached to put his credit card back in his wallet, but was stopped when Kisara placed her hand on his, "And… thanks, for dinner. It was really nice." She gave his hand a little squeeze before getting up from the table. She stopped suddenly and went digging into her purse, "Oh and I almost forgot." Kisara pulled out her wallet.

"Didn't we just agree you weren't going to pay for dinner?"

"No, it's not for that," Kisara handed him a check, "This is for my brace… the one you got me when I fractured my wrist. You told me that you wanted to be paid back, so here." Seto nodded, taking the check from her hand and putting it into his pocket without saying anything. Seto realized in that moment that he and Kisara shared a lot of the same values, something he feared would be the reason they couldn't work as a couple, if they ever became a couple.

Of course Seto had been afraid that Kisara was only interested in him for his money, but having known her long before actually going on a date, Seto never put much thought to it. What Seto admired in Kisara and himself was that she believed in fulfilling a debt. As a businessman, this was a trait Seto held to the highest standard and by paying back a debt from months ago, something Seto had long forgotten and never mentioned, proved Kisara to be something… compatible.

Seto pondered about it the whole ride home after dropping Kisara off. Something else he had noticed was that his hand, the one Kisara had squeezed, felt strange too. It took Seto until he parked his car in the driveway to realize he had had a first date… and a great first date at that. There was a faint smile on his face as he reflected on this, opening the front door to find his younger brother waiting for him.

"Nii-sama!" Seto dropped everything he was holding as Mokuba leaped into his arms, "I saw you pull up in the driveway. How was the date?"

"Mokuba, it's nearly eleven o'clock at night. Why are you still up? Where's Isono?"

"Right here, Mr. Kaiba," Isono came from the living room, picking up the car keys and various other items that Seto had dropped. "I tried putting him to bed, several times, actually. He just wouldn't stay there… he was determined to see you upon your return from your date with Ms. Safiya."

"Yeah… you gotta tell me all… about it…" Mokuba had gone limp in Seto's arms as sleep was starting to overcome him. Seto adjusted Mokuba in his arms as he took off his shoes and headed upstairs.

"Sorry, kid. It's bed time." Mokuba hardly put up a fight but was still resistant.

"I'm thirteen years old… I'm not a baby anymore…" Mokuba mumbled into Seto's shoulder, falling deeper and deeper into sleep as Seto reached Mokuba's room. He smiled and gently placed Mokuba into bed. "I can stay up… as long as I want… I'm a teenager…" Seto pulled the covers over Mokuba and delicately tucked him into bed.

"No matter how old you get, you'll always need your rest and you'll always be my baby brother." Seto leaned over and kissed him on the forehead, turning out the light and walking towards the door.

"Nii-sama…" Seto stopped and turned around.

"Yes?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N:** _FINALLY THIS IS DONE! GAHHH, that took way longer than I thought it would! Hey all! Kari here with this two day late update coming to you at the tail end of finals week. I actually worked on/finished this chapter in the time I was supposed to be studying for my last final but hopefully I'll magically be able to get a good grade on it and be done with this semester forever! I knew ahead of time getting this chapter out to you on time (on the 12__th__) was a bit of stretch due to finals week but I tried. I almost succeeded too! Alas, I needed more time to make this chapter just right. Also, if anyone of you know, the song I quoted at the beginning, isn't it just the cutest song ever? It's always reminded me of Seto and Mokuba. :) Anyway, thanks for reading and review and being awesome! Talk to you again in a month (this time it'll be on time for sure)! Thanks again for the reviews! :D_


	15. XV

"_And I remember the sound,_

_Of your November downtown._

_And I remember the truth,_

_A warm December with you._

_But I don't have to make this mistake,_

_And I don't have to stay this way."_

Winter by Joshua Radin

**XV**

His heart was racing, literally pounding in his chest. It was beating so hard it hurt but Mokuba didn't notice. With each step he took, he threw the next leg forward more viciously. There was nothing else on his mind except that he needed to see his brother, and fast. "MOVE IT! I'M COMING THROUGH!" Mokuba yelled at the top of his lungs as he barreled through the hustle and bustle of the Kaiba Corp. employees. He didn't care how rude he sounded. He had to get to Seto's office as quickly as possible.

"NII-SAMA!" Mokuba shouted as he flung open the door. To his surprise, the office was empty. Neither Seto nor Kisara were anywhere in sight. The only person present was Isono, holding an open file in his hand. His expression changed when he saw Mokuba, the boy's face soaked in sweat.

"Is everything okay, Master Mokuba?" Isono put down the file and walked over to him. Mokuba took a few steps back, looking around the hallway outside of Seto's office.

"I need to see my brother. Where is he?" Mokuba asked between pants.

"I believe he accompanied Ms. Safiya to the copier room. Is something wrong?" Mokuba shook his head and turned around.

"I'm fine. I just need to find him!" Mokuba dashed down the hallway, dodging every employee that stood in his way. Within seconds, he busted open the door to the copier room to find Kisara and Seto, making copies and chatting. The two of them looked up at the same time.

"Oh, hey Mokuba," Kisara said in surprise, then she looked worried, "Whoa, are you okay?" Mokuba nodded.

"I need… some… water…" Mokuba said, hanging onto the doorknob for dear life. He was absolutely exhausted. Maybe running up an entire flight of stairs instead of taking the elevator was a bad idea… "I need to talk to you… Nii-sama…"

Seto turned to Kisara, "Could you get him some water?" Kisara nodded and left the room. The minute she was gone, Mokuba slammed the door shut after her. "Alright, tell me what's going on. Are you in trouble? Is someone coming after you?" Mokuba was bent over, trying to catch his breath. He shook his head.

"No, it's not that."

"Then what is it? You're scaring the hell out of me right now." Mokuba took a deep breath and stood up straight.

"I was just downstairs in the personnel files and I stumbled upon something…" Seto's eyes widened. He moved in closer to Mokuba.

"I'd ask how you got a key to the personnel file room in the first place, but I'm more interested in what you found. Is it incriminating?" Seto then said in a hushed voice, "Is it about Kisara?"

Mokuba took another deep breath before speaking again. "December 20th." There was a long pause.

"...I don't get it." Mokuba turned around and locked the door behind him.

"That's Kisara's birthday, December 20th!" Seto rolled his eyes.

"Ugh, why do you do this to me? You come in here like its life or death and then you tell me it's about Kisara's birthday."

"No, no, no, do you even know what day it is today?" Seto raised an eyebrow. He quickly flipped out his phone and checked. Again, he gave an annoyed sigh.

"It's only December 10th. Don't scare me like that!"

"You should be scared." Seto walked over to the copy machine and took out the copies he had made so far.

"Oh yeah, and why is that?"

"Um, because that means we only have ten days to figure out what to get Kisara for her birthday. Duh! Are you an idiot?" Seto twisted around.

"Hey! You are not allowed to call me an idiot," Seto stated sternly, "Besides, I don't get people presents except for you and the only thing I give Isono is time off to see his mother once a year."

"But Nii-sama, you have to give Kisara something if you want her to be your girlfriend!" Seto wasn't sure about that. Though he and Kisara had gone on several "getting-to-know-each-other" dates in the last two weeks, he still wasn't sure he was ready to formally ask Kisara to be his girlfriend. It wasn't because he didn't know how to ask her, though that was part of the reason, but mostly it was because he didn't know if asking her out was the right thing to do. Sure, he was fond of her the same way she was probably fond of him, that part was obvious, but there were so many other things he had to take into consideration before making such a bold move.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. "I have the water. Am I allowed in?" Kisara's voice was heard on the other side of the door. Seto opened the door quickly and shut it behind him.

"Thanks for getting the water. Why don't you head back my office and begin filing these in their proper places. I think I need a little more alone time with Mokuba… turns out something bad happened at school and he needed someone to talk to."

"Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that." Seto took the cup of water from her hand.

"Yeah, but he's going to be okay. It was nothing serious. I'll see you back at the office." Kisara nodded.

"Alright, see you later." Seto went back into the copier room and handed Mokuba the cup of water.

"I don't know if I should ask Kisara out." Mokuba spit out his water.

"Wait, what? Why? Of course you should!" Mokuba said and then gasped, "You're not pretending to like her, are you? Nii-sama! That's cruel!"

"No, it's nothing like that," Seto folded his arms, "I'm just worried about what will happen if I do ask her out."

"Like what exactly?"

"Have you even thought about all the danger she'll be in if the world knows she and I are involved with each other? Imagine everything that's happened to you and multiple that by two." Mokuba rubbed the back of his neck. He hadn't thought about that. It wasn't an issue he ever had to think about. Seto was the one who had to worry about Mokuba's safety because of the title he held… and because most people knew if they wanted to get to Seto, they had to hurt Mokuba. Since Seto had become CEO, Mokuba's life had been riddled with kidnappings, death threats, abuse, and constant fear for his life. He hadn't realized that would be the life Kisara would have to deal with too if she ever became Seto's girlfriend.

"I hadn't thought about that…" Mokuba said, looking down, "How have you two been going on so many dates without the press finding out?" Seto leaned against the door.

"All of our dates have been private and out of the public eye. I rent out every restaurant we go to or invite her over to the house… using my helicopter or the limo with extra tinted windows. I've done everything in my power to keep this a secret and I've sworn her to secrecy as well. I told her it was best for our work and school life."

"Well, you can't keep hiding forever. I mean, she's eventually going to want to something more, don't you think?"

"She was the one who wanted to get to know each other before we did anything," Seto said, looking down at his feet. It ended up being the best plan of action for them, Seto realized, but he had to wonder in the back of his mind if Kisara would eventually want something more. Seto knew his feelings grew stronger with each and every day he spent with her… he just didn't know if Kisara felt the same. Maybe she never would… and maybe it was better that way.

"Yeah, I guess you're right," Mokuba said, taking one last gulp of his water before tossing the empty cup in the trashcan, "But I still think you should get her a gift. Regardless of whatever you two are to each other, she's been a great assistant these last couple months."

"I know… and you're right," Seto said, opening the door for him and walking out of the copier room, "Now the only problem is figuring out what in the world to get her."

"Don't worry. I'll help you figure something out!" Mokuba said with a wide smile on his face. The brothers walked together back to Seto's office. Seto immediately noticed Kisara was gone the minute he walked in. He turned to Isono.

"Where's Kisara?"

"She told me she was taking a break."

"She's taking a break? But Kisara never takes breaks. She's never taken a break since she began working here," Seto stated in astonishment.

"Except for that time she fractured her wrist," Mokuba added, looking up at his brother. Isono shrugged.

"I don't know what else to tell you. She told me she was taking a break, took her coat, and left." Seto grabbed his own coat off the coat hanger on the door.

"Nii-sama, where are you going?"

"Don't worry, I'll be back. I'm just gonna check on Kisara real quick." Seto left his office and took off towards the elevator. It opened just as he pressed the button to go down. When he stepped inside, however, he got another idea and pressed the button to go up.

* * *

Kisara walked outside of the Kaiba Corp. building and into the parking lot. A gust of cold wind blew into her face, causing her to zip her coat all the way up to her neck. It was freezing outside… Kisara had never experienced a cold December in her life. After checking to make sure no one was around, she flipped open her phone and dialed an all too familiar number.

"Hello?" Kisara smiled upon hearing her best friend's voice.

"Hey Cleo, what's up?"

"Kisara Safiya! I don't believe it. You actually called! This might be the first time you've ever called me. Where have you been? The last time we talked was a month ago! I've been trying to call you for a while."

"I know, and I'm sorry it's been so long. I've been busy with work and school. Not to mention that you still have yet to figure out the time zone differences between us. Also I had to save up for a phone card…"

"Alright, alright, I get it. You're crazy busy but it doesn't matter. Just tell me how you've been. How's life treating you in Japan?"

"Things have been going pretty well, actually, with school and work… I had to buy my first coat yesterday because it's so cold here."

"And what about Seto Kaiba? You know all I'm really interested in is how he's treating you." Kisara could imagine the grin on Cleopatra's face right then as she was asking about Seto just as easily as Cleopatra could imagine how red Kisara became from blushing.

"Well, he and I… we've actually been dating for about two weeks now." Cleopatra squealed so loud from excitement, Kisara had to hold the phone away from her face. "Now before you get too excited, we're just getting to know each other. We're not boyfriend and girlfriend or anything."

"Too late for that! I'm already excited. I'm so happy to hear you're dating again! A lot of us were worried you never would after going out with 'he who shall not be named.'" Kisara's smile disappeared and she became quiet. "Kisara, are you still there?"

"I don't want to talk about him, okay? Let's just pretend he doesn't exist for this phone call."

"Okay, okay, calm down. I called him 'he who shall not be named,' I thought that would be enough. I apologize." Kisara sighed.

"The reason I called you was to talk about Seto. We've been 'getting to know each other' for a while now but he still hasn't asked me out. I need you to tell it to me straight, Cleo… do you think he ever will ask me out?"

"Well…"

* * *

The elevator door opened. The hallway was empty, save for one door and one door only. The unmarked floor of the Kaiba Corp. building wasn't known to anyone except Seto. He walked over to the door and opened it. There were a whole range of camera monitors that could be seen along the computer screen that stretched along the three walls of the room. Seto sat down in the chair in the center of the room and scanned the monitors in front of him. He looked through each one until he found the monitor that was titled, "Front Entrance." It was there that he saw Kisara standing, talking on her cell phone.

Seto rolled over to the keyboard in front of him and clicked on the front entrance monitor, enlarging the window and turning up the volume. It was then that they camera was able to pick up what Kisara was saying on her cell phone as she was standing outside.

"You're right, I'm just going to have to wait and see," Kisara wrapped her free arm around herself, "I'm freezing… Oh, I'm standing outside of the Kaiba Corp. building, I'm at work right now… I guess this'll be the first year I'll have a white Christmas." Seto raised an eyebrow and leaned in closer to the computer, "…I know, I was hoping to go home for the holidays but I simply don't have the money to fly home right now between living on my own and saving for business school… I can't ask Mom or Dad, I know they don't have the money either. Besides, asking them would just make them depressed. I'm just going to say I have to work through the holidays so they don't feel bad… Cleo, if I can't come home for Christmas, I certainly can't come home for my birthday…"

Seto watched as Kisara's face was contorted with emotion. She missed her family and friends. She missed her home. Sure, Domino City had become a home for Kisara; that much was true. It was something he could just tell… a feeling he got from being around her. Kisara didn't seem to be living in Domino City because she had to, she wanted to, but Domino City couldn't replace the people she was leaving behind in Egypt, the people that made her feel at home. Seto knew this because he had experienced it all after moving several times over the course of his life. The Kaiba Mansion had become more of a home for Seto and his brother after Gozaburo died, but nothing could replace the home he lived in with his parents before they died.

Kisara looked down at her watch, "Listen Cleo, I have to go but I promise to call sooner next time and tell my parents I say 'hi'… I don't know how or when I'll tell them I'm not coming home, but I'll figure it out, I'm sure… alright, I love you too. We'll celebrate my birthday next year. It'll be great… Take care." Seto got up from his chair and left the room. He went back into the elevator and soon returned to his office where Mokuba was waiting for him.

"Nii-sama, I've been thinking about it, and I know what we should get Kisara! We should buy her jewelry. All girls love jewelry!" Seto shook his head and sat down at his desk, flipping open his computer.

"I already know what to get her and it's something better than jewelry."

"What is it?"

"You'll see." Seto opened up a new web browser on his laptop and began typing. Part of him couldn't believe he was actually buying a gift for someone of the opposite sex. Never before could he have ever predicted himself caring for a woman, much less feeling happiness by bringing happiness to another person. No, he could've never predicted the way Kisara made him feel and the things he would do just to see her smile. He could've never known what it meant to feel such things had she never come to Domino City with dreams as big as his own.

Seto knew he couldn't help her fulfill every dream she had, but he would try his best to help fulfill as many as he could to make her happy.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey all! So it's been a CRAZY month this last month… though I'm starting to feel like there's never been a month that hasn't been crazy. Could it be because it's 2012 and we're all going to die at the end of the year? I doubt it. But it may explain why life hasn't given me a break lately. BUT thankfully the harder my life is, the more inspired I am to escape in my writing and bring you a new chapter. I was going to post this chapter yesterday and give you a day early update but once again, life got in the way so that didn't happen. I finished this chapter quite a while ago… the ending was the only thing that was taking me a while to write. I'm not sure if I'm completely happy with the ending, still, but either way, I'm pretty content with what I have here. Not to mention that all of your reviews have been extra nice lately which have been really helpful during this difficult time! I hope I express enough of my gratitude in my review replies because you guys are seriously awesome. Thanks for reading and I'll talk to you guys in a month!_

_P.S: I'm going to be posting a new one-shot in less than a week so stay tuned for that in the near future. _


	16. XVI

"_Will your system be alright,_

_When you dream of home tonight?_

_There is no message we're receiving,_

_Let me know, is your heart still beating?"_

Human by The Killers

**XVI**

As Kisara walked into Kaiba Corp. headquarter that Monday afternoon, work was the last thing on her mind. Her thoughts were occupied by her parents; Kisara knew she had to inform her parents that she wasn't going to be coming home for the holidays but she still hadn't figured out how. In fact, she had spent the entire weekend trying to figure out the best and most plausible excuse she could give them, but nothing seemed to sound right or anywhere near the truth. It didn't help that her parents had tried calling her once a day for the last week trying to find out what her holiday plans were by leaving messages and sending her e-mails asking, all of which Kisara avoided like the plague. She had to figure out something to tell them because the holidays were fast approaching and her family deserved some sort of answer.

Kisara shook her head, deciding that she would figure something out later. That was the great thing about work—it was easy to forget about the things she had to do while still being productive in the process. Kaiba Corp. was the perfect place to take her mind off of her personal life. She pondered how distracting work was as she walked into Seto's office, hardly noticing that Seto was already seated at his desk. He rose at once the minute she walked in.

"Good afternoon, Kisara." Kisara jumped with surprise. Seto took a step back, "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you're easily surprised."

"Oh, it's no problem at all, Seto—I mean, Mr. Kaiba. I just didn't see you there. You're here early for a Monday afternoon. How was your weekend?" Kisara carried on with her small talk as she placed the files in her hand down and hung her coat on her chair. Seto walked over to her. When Kisara turned around, she immediately noticed Seto was holding a white envelope in his hand. Seto held it out to her. "What's that? You're not firing me, are you?" Kisara joked with a pinch of worry in her voice.

"It's a surprise." Kisara took the envelope from his hand, still suspicious of what it contained.

"I didn't think you were a man of many surprises," Kisara said, eyeing him carefully.

"I'm not, but that also doesn't mean I'm incapable of surprises." This neither confirmed nor denied that Kisara was getting fired, and Seto could tell she still wasn't convinced about how to feel, "It's a birthday present." Kisara smiled.

"Aw, Seto… you didn't have to get me anything and not to appear ungrateful, but my birthday's next week." Seto grinned.

"I know, but you're going to want to open my present now. Trust me, see it for yourself." Kisara slowly opened the envelope and found two folded pieces of paper. Kisara unfolded them and looked down. Seto watched as the smile on her face disappeared and her eyes widened as she read what was on the papers. She looked up slowly; her mouth was slightly ajar as she stared at him. "It's just a little something to show my appreciation for all the work that you've done for me."

"Are these… plane tickets to go home?" Seto nodded.

"Round-trip, of course, but I'm giving you the next two weeks off to be able to go home and see your family. You told me it's been a while since you've been home and I took it upon myself to give you the opportunity to go see them for the holidays… in addition to your birthday," Seto stated, "And you don't need to worry about losing work days because I'm letting you leave with paid vacation. Your vacation starts today and your plane leaves tonight, so you should probably go home now and—"

Kisara threw her body at Seto, tightly wrapping her arms around his neck. Seto didn't know how to respond at first. He had nearly fallen over from her tackling him. She buried her face into his shoulder as she held onto him. It was then that Seto noticed she was shaking. "I don't know what to say… I can't even believe you would do this for me." Kisara stepped back for a moment. Seto saw that tears were now running down Kisara's face as she was looking down at the tickets. She quickly wiped them away when she remembered Seto was still in the room, watching her. Kisara looked up, "You must've spent a fortune on this. All I got you for your birthday was a name plate. And all that did was remind you of your horrible childhood."

"I hardly spent a fortune on these. I am one of the richest men in Japan, after all. Besides, the name plate was a great gift in comparison to what Isono's gotten me in the past." Seto walked over and placed his hands on Kisara's shoulders, trying to push past how awkward he felt seeing her in distress in order to come across as comforting, "Please don't feel bad about this. I have more wealth than I could ever need, I was happy to do this for you." Kisara wiped away the last of her tears and looked down again at the tickets. She shook her head and held out the tickets towards Seto.

"I can't accept these. It would take me months to repay you for these." Seto pushed the tickets back towards her.

"I think you're forgetting the way presents work, Kisara. I'm giving these to you, free of charge." Kisara continued looking at the tickets in her hand. She wanted nothing more than to accept these tickets and be home before midnight that night but she felt unworthy of such kindness. This had to be the nicest thing anyone had ever done for her, aside from the first date she shared with Seto. She was, indeed, conflicted. Her heart ached to return home but it just didn't seem right to take the tickets. Kisara looked up.

"Even still, I can't accept these. I wouldn't feel right taking these knowing you'd have to go without an assistant for two weeks. It's just… I can't." Kisara tried to hold them out again to Seto but again, he refused to take the tickets from her hand.

"You can, you will, and you should probably do it soon," Seto looked down at his watch, "Your plane leaves tonight and I'm sure you need some time to pack and get your things ready. Please, don't worry about me. Temporary assistants are a dime a dozen, I'm sure I can find someone to help me while you're gone. You should get moving, though."

Just as Seto looked up, Kisara launched at him again, hurling himself into another emotional hug. Though Seto was surprised, he had figured out the appropriate response and hugged her back. He hadn't hugged Kisara in a while, he realized, the last time must've been when Mokuba was sick. He liked the way she felt wrapped in his arms, he couldn't deny that.

"Thank you so much, Seto. This means so much to me." Kisara pulled away slightly, giving Seto a kiss on the cheek before breaking away completely, "I better go. I've got a plane to catch. See you in two weeks!" Kisara grabbed her coat off her chair and sped out the door. Seto rubbed his cheek slowly, totally astonished and unaware of the obvious smile on his face. He could tell she was truly happy, and though he couldn't quite explain why… he felt he was happy because she was happy.

As Kisara was speeding down the hallway towards the elevator, Mokuba was coming from the opposite direction towards Seto office. Mokuba noticed Kisara coming towards him. He waved.

"Hey Kisara! Where are you going?" Kisara lunged towards Mokuba, scooping him up into a hug and swinging him around in the air. Mokuba flailed slightly in her arms. "Whoa, what's going on?"

"I'm going home!" Kisara cheered happily, dropping him back on his feet before continuing her run towards the elevator, "See you in two weeks!" She disappeared down the hall and Mokuba was left totally confused. He ran to Seto's office as quickly as he could.

"What's up with Kisara? Why is she leaving? Did you fire her!" Seto looked up at his brother and smiled.

"No, I just gave her my birthday present. She's going to spend the next two weeks with her family." Mokuba's eyes widened and soon he was smiling too.

"Wow, good thinking Seto! That's a really good birthday present." Seto got up from his desk and walked over to the window. As he looked down below, he could just barely see Kisara coming out of the building and running to catch the next bus back to her apartment. From this height, he couldn't make out much, but her long, white hair was the best indicator. He watched as she slowly disappeared and felt his heart lift with happiness.

"I'm just happy she's happy," Seto said in a hushed voice before returning to his work as Kisara hopped on the next bus home. The twenty minute ride hardly fazed her as much as it usually did when she got off work. She was much too excited to notice anything except her apartment as it came closer and closer in sight.

When Kisara finally reached her apartment, there were a million thoughts going through her head of things she had to do before her trip. She had to pack, pay the rent for that month, clean her room, wash her clothes, and call for a taxi… all while feeling an immense, exciting happiness. She was so thrilled to be returning home, her heart was beating as fast as her arms were moving as she threw clothes into an open suitcase. She realized halfway through her packing that half of her suitcase was filled with sweaters and coats she had forgotten she wouldn't need in Egypt and she had to take them all out.

It was a miracle she had even heard the phone that was ringing. She stopped everything she was doing and picked it up.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hello Kisara! Honey, I didn't think I'd get you. Aren't you supposed to be at work right now?" Kisara rose to her feet, a smile crept onto her face.

"Mom?"

"I don't want to bother you if this is a bad time. I was only going to leave you a message asking when you were going to come home." The tears returned to her face, streaming down her cheeks as they had been earlier that day… almost as if they had never stopped flowing. There was a long silence between them. "Kisara, are you there? Sweetie, you can call me back later if you're busy. I only wanted to know if and when you're coming home…"

"I am coming home," Kisara finally said, her voice quivering with emotion, "I'm coming home tonight. Let Cleo know when you can." The prospect of returning home, to seeing her family, to seeing her friends and returning to her past life… it was too good to be true. It was almost as if it was a dream. A dream she had only Seto to thank. It didn't matter that this was a present; Kisara promised herself that one day she would pay him back for his kindness and generosity. She didn't know when, but one day, she would.

* * *

It was December 20th and Mokuba was bored out of his mind. There was still another week left of work before Kaiba Corp. let the employees off for the holidays. Not to mention there was still another week left of school before students were let off for the holidays. More importantly, Kisara had been gone for exactly a week. It wasn't that there was any less work that had been done around the office; the work that was being done just seemed so much less exciting without Kisara around. She brought a certain energy and excitement to the workplace that seemed to disappear when she was gone.

Mokuba loudly sighed to show his disgruntlement with the situation. Seto rolled his eyes and looked up yet again from his laptop. For the last week, it seemed, all Mokuba could do was whine and complain about how he wanted to go home while they were at work. Seto, however, had always figured it was because it was close to the holiday season and Mokuba was anxious for his winter vacation.

"What is it this time, Mokuba?" Seto asked trying to sound as kind and considerate as he usually was towards his younger brother.

"I'm so bored," Mokuba said, elongating the 'd' in 'bored.' Seto shifted in his chair and turned his head.

"I'm afraid I can't help you with that. It's not like we ever come to work to play, Mokuba."

"No, I know that," Mokuba stated, crossing his arms and slumping in his chair, "It's just that things are so boring now without Kisara."

"How do you figure that? All we ever do is work. Nothing special happens. It's not like anything is different."

"Yeah, but when Kisara's around, you guys flirt in between work. Now all you do is work and it's really boring." Seto chose to ignore that comment completely and silently return to what he was doing on his laptop. Mokuba sighed again, before perking up with realization, "Hey, isn't today her birthday? You should call her!" Seto slammed his hand onto his forehead and turned all the way around to face Mokuba.

"Would you quit it with the 'love guru' thing already? You're thirteen years old. How is it possible that you know more about this relationship stuff than I do?" Seto snapped. Mokuba unfolded his crossed arms and shrugged.

"Because I've cared about other people longer than you have? Or maybe it's because I've watched more romantic comedies than you? I don't know. It was just a thought." Mokuba rose from his chair and headed towards the hallway, "I think I'm going to hang out in the break room for a while, maybe grab a snack. Call me when we're leaving." Seto wasn't sure if he had upset Mokuba with his rather blunt altercation but Kisara had become a sensitive topic for him. After all, his best assistant had been gone for a week and in her absence, Seto had felt something he hadn't since he was a boy, soon after his parents had died.

Seto felt a longing for Kisara. It was a strange feeling. It was as if… he missed her. He missed having her around. He missed her smile, her laugh, her presence… he missed absolutely everything about Kisara. Never in his life had he ever missed someone, except maybe the one time he had sent Mokuba off to a week-long summer camp (something he dared never to do again because he missed Mokuba so much). His life had become less bearable without her around and that was both a dawning and painful realization to have. There was nothing he could do, though. Kisara wasn't due back for another week so for now, all he could do was wait and think of her.

Thousands of miles and eight time zones away from where Seto was; Kisara awoke from her deep sleep. Every night since she had arrived home had been filled with pleasant shut eye for Kisara… she hadn't slept so soundly since, well, before she had moved to Japan. It had taken her a while to adjust to the time zone in Cairo, Egypt, and even after a week she was still getting the hang of waking up at a reasonable hour. Waking up at 8am wasn't so bad, she felt, as she walked to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast.

Her parents had left for work earlier that morning, she assumed since it was a Monday, and her grandparents were probably still out for their morning walk. She had hardly noticed the bouquet of flowers sitting on the kitchen table with a card underneath the case they were in. Kisara quickly placed her orange juice down and walked over to the table, expecting a loving card from her parents and grandparents. To her surprise, the letter wasn't written in their handwriting, and her mother had written a note beside it.

"Kisara, I found these flowers by the door this morning. I brought them in for you. Happy birthday, darling! You'll have to tell me all about this boy that is sending you flowers! Love you, Mom." Kisara tore open the letter that had come with the flowers and found a simple, yet elegant note, addressed to her.

"Happy birthday, Kisara. Sincerely, Seto Kaiba." Kisara leaned over and buried her face into the bundle of roses. They smelled wonderful and fresh. Once again, Seto had blown her away with his extraordinary generous gestures. Still, she couldn't help but wonder what this meant for them. What were they to each other? He was sending her flowers, they were going on dates: Were they together or just… great… friends? Kisara had be pondering this question for quite a while but didn't know how or when to bring it up. She had decided then that it was time and that she would somehow find a tactful way to bring it up the next time she saw Seto.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey all! So I've gotten a couple reviews from people that seem to think my story is ending… I just thought I would begin this author's note by assuring you I have a LONG way to go before this story is over. I could not figure out why until literally today when I read my last author's note; when I was talking about the ending I meant the ending of the chapter, not the story. XD Sorry if I confused you guys! Now that it's almost been a month, I don't even remember why the ending of the last chapter was so difficult. But I suppose I can only move forward and how better to do that than with an early update? The reason for that is because this will probably be the only day I have time to post and do my proper review replies and such before the week begins with work and my leaving for Chicago on Wednesday which is SUPER exciting! I can't wait. Anyhow, I figured an early update would be more fun for everyone than a late update so here it is! Also, I can't thank my reviewers enough for their support and comments. It's just incredibly thrilling and I guess the reason I mention it every time is just because they always blow me away and/or make my day. So thank you for reading, reviewing, living, and smiling! You're all just fantastic. _


	17. XVII

_"Every time I try to talk to you,_

_I get tongue-tied._

_Turns out, everything I say to you,_

_Comes out wrong and never comes out right."_

Why Don't You & I by Santana

**XVII**

It was December 27th and Seto was happier than he usually was during that particular time of year. The holidays had always been a bit daunting to Seto considering the implications that followed them… family, togetherness, warmth; things Seto didn't experience after his parents died. Though Seto tried his best to hold onto what few memories he had of happier holidays, it didn't change the fact that the holidays themselves weighed on his soul a little bit every year. That year things had gone well, surprisingly. He had enjoyed spending the holidays with his brother and caught a couple more hours of sleep than he usually did without school or work to attend to. Though school wasn't due for another week and Kaiba Corp. didn't open again until the following day, there was still work to be done and Seto couldn't think of a better day to come into the office then when all the employees were still on vacation.

The silence in the Kaiba Corp. building was enough to bring a smile on Seto's face as he typed away, catching up on work where there was little work to be caught up on. That fact alone was enough to put him in a good mood. He was so happy to be getting things done that he hardly noticed the sheepish knock on his office door.

"Seto?" Seto's hand froze on the paper he was writing his signature on and his head turned upwards. He hadn't expected to see Kisara standing in the doorway, dressed in her winter best, looking jetlagged but nevertheless, ready to work her shift. Though he was astonished, Seto also noticed his heart had begun to beat faster. It had been two weeks since he had seen her and the sight of her brought forth only positive feelings.

"I didn't expect to see you today. What are you doing here?"

"I was actually thinking about asking you the same thing… is everyone still on vacation and if so, why aren't you?" Seto nodded his head.

"That's right. Work doesn't officially begin again until tomorrow but I couldn't resist coming in when the office was empty to do some work. Did you not see the e-mail with the work schedule for this week?"

"No, I didn't use the computer a lot while I was home. Don't worry about it, though, I actually needed to see you." There was something different about the tone of Kisara's voice. Seto didn't know what to make of it. It was very serious and yet, he could practically feel how nervous she was being around him. Had something happened when she went home? Kisara sat down on the couch and invited Seto to come join her. Seto did as she suggested, sitting beside her. She took a deep breath before turning and facing Seto.

"I'm just going to skip right ahead and be straight with you right now. The reason I came in today was because I wanted to talk to you about something."

"What kind of something?" Seto inquired.

"Something I've been meaning to talk to you about for quite some time." Kisara handed him a piece of paper. Seto looked down and saw that it was a flier promoting a New Years Eve party that was being held by a fellow classmate at Domino City High. Seto looked back up at Kisara with a raised eyebrow.

"I don't get it."

"Will you come with me to the party?" Kisara stared deeply into his eyes, waiting for an answer. Every second that went by without an answer felt like an eternity. It took Seto a moment to find a way to respond.

"What? Like… as a…?"

"Yes. I'm asking you if you will attend this party with me as my date." Seto immediately got up from the couch.

"Kisara, I like to think that over the course of four months, you've gotten to know me better than this. Me? Attending a party? Why on earth would I do something like that?" Seto stated, sounding slightly offended that Kisara would even ask.

"Because it would mean a lot to me… and because I already said I would be bringing someone."

"You said that? To who? Did you say who you would be bringing?" Kisara rose to her feet as well to talk with Seto on eye level.

"Yes, I did say that. I said it to Tea and I told her I would be bringing a date."

"Tea?! Since when do you talk to her? And why would you call me your date?"

"I do have friends, you know. Just because I spend most of my life working doesn't mean I lack a social life completely. I called you my date because, if I didn't know any better, I'd say we had been dating for the last three weeks now."

"We're not dating! We're… we're… we're getting to know each other. That's all." Kisara could feel all sorts of emotions rise up inside of her but she wasn't going to back down. The romantic dinners, the helicopter ride, the nights they had spent hours talking to one another… she knew there was more to them and Seto was only trying to cover up that fact. She could only hope that it wasn't because he wasn't the kind, generous man she had grown to like.

"I don't think it would be farfetched to say that we're more than just friends and definitely past the 'getting to know each other' stage. Am I right or am I just being crazy right now?" Seto shrugged.

"You're absolutely right…" Seto stated, "We're colleagues." There was a sudden rage that surged up within Kisara that she simply couldn't hold back despite the fact that they were both at work. At the office, Seto was her boss and she was supposed to act accordingly to that. In that moment, however… none of that mattered.

"That's the problem I have with you. You take me on dates but you refuse to say we're dating. I invite you to go with me to an event and you act like it's such a surprise I would even want to spend time with you. I don't get it!" The volume in Kisara's voice rose with each word she said. The air was becoming thick with tension and although Seto was afraid of where the conversation was going, he was determined to keep it from going there any further.

"I don't understand. What don't you get?" Kisara gave a frustrated sigh.

"I need to know what we are, Seto. I need to know right now. Do you want to be with me or not because for a while, I thought we were something to each other but if we're not, we can stop pretending to like each other and go back to our regular lives." There it was; the inevitable question and exactly what he had been afraid Kisara would ask. Seto had thought he had more time but now he was faced with the task of giving Kisara an answer. She was clearly upset and his extended silence wasn't making it any better. Seto had to think of something intelligent to say and fast. The only problem was that he didn't know what to say.

"I… uh… look. I'm not good at this…"

"Clearly," Kisara interrupted him to say. Seto glared at her.

"Would you give me a break? I'm trying to be honest with you right now." Kisara took a couple moments before stepping back and realizing how ferocious she was being towards him. She looked down in shame.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you. My emotions have gotten the best of me…" Kisara looked up, "This is a sensitive topic for me, okay? I'm just scared that all of those… whatever you call them, things we went on together meant nothing to you because they meant the world to me. What we have… what I think we have… is something special." Seto walked over to Kisara.

"It's special to me too. So special, I'm not sure what to call it yet," Kisara gazed up at him with her hopeful blue eyes. "Does that make any sense? I'm still trying to figure out my own feelings on all of this. I've never experienced anything like this before." Seto handed the flier back to Kisara.

"I get it. You need more time. Since that's the case, you don't have to worry about coming to the party with me. I'll just go by myself." Kisara turned away and headed towards the door.

"Wait, Kisara." Kisara stopped mid-step and turned around. "That doesn't mean I won't go with you."

"So you'll come?" Seto nodded his head.

"Despite how much I hate parties, if it's important to you, then I'll come." Kisara's face lit up and she smiled. Seeing her smile caused Seto to forget everything he hated about parties.

"Thank you," Kisara said, "Pick me up around 10."

"You got it." That was that. Seto Kaiba was officially going to be attending his first New Years Eve party and the only aspect he was looking forward to was spending time with Kisara.

* * *

Not a word was spoken between the two of them the entire ride from Kisara's apartment to the party which was being held in Downtown Domino. Downtown Domino was a long way from where Seto lived so it made for almost a half hour ride of complete silence. Kisara didn't know what to say to Seto and Seto felt the same way towards her. She was happy to have Seto come along but she could tell he was already hating the experience. It became even more apparent when they pulled up to the house that was surrounded by cars with booming music being heard from within.

"I do believe this is the destination, Master Kaiba," The driver said, unlocking the doors to let them out, "Do give me a call when you want to be picked up." Seto thought about suggesting to his driver to park the car around the corner since he would want to leave immediately but he couldn't without Kisara hearing. He had to at least try to have a nice time, he had promised Kisara that much in addition to promising to go with her. This was the girl his heart and head had been tormented by during the last two weeks she had been gone. He had to try and muster up those feelings of missing her and wanting her to be happy in order to step foot into the house.

The room became quiet the moment they did. The people gawked at them, quietly whispering amongst one another just before Tea burst out from the crowd to embrace Kisara.

"Kisara, I'm so happy you made it!" Tea squealed, hugging Kisara. She stopped jumping up and down when she noticed Seto standing beside her. "Kaiba? What are you doing here? Oh wait… are you…?"

"We're colleagues," Kisara stated, giving Tea a very stern look, "Nothing more. I thought it might be nice to have someone I knew escort me to this party." The party attendees soon returned to their normal rambunctious behavior after a while as Seto stood awkwardly next to Kisara. Kisara spent the next couple minutes catching up with Tea and getting the scoop on what had happened so far at the party. Seto, with nothing to do except watch Kisara chat away, found it to be unbearable.

"Can I borrow her for a moment?" Seto asked, pulling Kisara off to the side of the room, "I hate to interrupt your social fun time but I don't know what to do."

"How about you get us something to drink? I think there are some sodas over there," Kisara suggested. Seto nodded. That task sounded easy enough. He maneuvered his way through the dancing crowd of idiotic teenagers to get to the refreshment table. Seto grabbed the first two he saw and turned around, wanting to get back to Kisara as quickly as possible.

Sifting through the crowd, Seto could feel several eyes of his peers watching him move through the room. People shamelessly stared at him in awe only making Seto push past people even faster. He didn't belong here, that much was obvious. Seto hated parties and the attention he drew to himself was one of the many reasons why. He contemplated the most polite way of asking Kisara if they could leave early when he stopped dead in his tracks. Seto caught a glimpse of Kisara and a guy talking to one another. Seto recognized him immediately... it was Jiro, a classmate who shared English class with Seto and Kisara.

Seto lowered himself to blend in with the crowd, slowly inching closer. Kisara was graciously leaning against the wall, chatting away with Jiro in an amicable manner. Jiro, on the other hand, had a smirk on his face and leaned in closer and closer to her with every word he said. Seto was too far away to make out what either of them were saying to one another but Seto could tell from Jiro's body language exactly what he was thinking. Seto tried to remain calm as long as possible until he saw Jiro place his arm around Kisara. It was then that Seto pounced.

"Get the hell away from her!" Seto yelled, springing from the crowd and shoving Jiro off of Kisara.

"What's your problem, man?" Jiro yelled back, "Are you drunk or something?" Kisara immediately got between the two of them.

"Guys, both of you need to calm down." Jiro turned to Kisara.

"Is this your boyfriend or something?"

"No, I'm not her boyfriend," Seto stated, answering for her, "But I'm her friend and I'd appreciate it if you'd never touch her again." Jiro stepped forward.

"You're pretty demanding for a guy who isn't a boyfriend. As far as I know, if you're not her boyfriend, I can touch her all that I want."

"Actually that's not how it works," Kisara butted in, then pulled Seto aside, "Seto, he's drunk. Don't take anything he says too seriously."

"But he touched you."

"Yes, but I could've pushed him off myself. In fact, I can do a lot of things for myself and most of them don't have to resort to violence. Also, if you don't want to define our relationship as anything more than colleagues or friends, then you shouldn't be beating people up as if you're my boyfriend." Seto wanted to be mad but all he felt was surprised. Since when did the conversation go from Seto defending Kisara's safety to him needing to define their relationship?

"Are you guys going to kiss or something? It's almost midnight. You might as well just pucker up and kiss each other," Jiro said with a laugh, grabbing Kisara's arm and pushing her over to Seto. Seto threw the sodas in his hands to the ground and caught Kisara. Once she was back on her feet, again he lunged at Jiro.

"I told you not to touch her," Seto asserted, grabbing Jiro by the collar and shoving him against the wall. "If you lay one more hand on her, I don't know what I'm going to do." The soda had exploded on the ground by Kisara's feet and people were beginning to stare at the incident that was unfolding. At that point, she couldn't take it anymore. It was too embarrassing, it was too confusing, and it was too much to handle.

"That's it, I'm leaving. Goodbye, Seto," Kisara said, turning away and running towards the door. Seto dropped Jiro to the ground and saw Kisara exiting the house. She was upset... but why was she upset with him of all people? Despite how much he tried to rationalize himself being right in the midst of the argument, he knew he was wrong in trying to ignore the validity of Kisara's feelings. She needed to know what they were and maybe it was time he stopped trying to run away from it before he lost her completely.

"Kisara, wait!" Seto called out to her, loud enough that Kisara's stopped just as she was opening the door to leave, grabbing everyone's attention in the room. Kisara swirled around. Seto focused only on Kisara as he spoke, "Kisara... what we are..." Seto paused again, trying to find the exact right words to say everything that she needed to hear, "You're mine. I'm yours. And... I suppose that means we're together. I've always felt this way about us but I could never express it in the right way."

Seto had to take another moment to build up the illusion that he was alone again. It wasn't working very well since there was loud music still playing in the background, but he had to try his best nonetheless. "You have to understand, I've never had to define myself and another person. My whole life, it's only been my brother and I... until I met you. So for now, we're together and that's what we'll be if you wish."

Kisara said nothing to Seto. Someone had even shut off the music in the house, making things even more awkward. No one was even whispering, everyone was so fixated on seeing what would happen next. Things were completely silent until someone shouted, "Hey look! One more minute until the new year!" Seto looked at his watch and sure enough, only a minute was left until the new year began. The mass of people scrambled around the television just as Kisara grabbed him by the arm and pulled him out of the house. Seto could hear people already starting to count down.

"Seto, look at me. Did you really mean what you said to me just now?" Kisara asked when they were outside of the house. Seto nodded.

"I meant every word."

"But why would you say that in front of everyone? Why did you have to embarrass me like that?" Seto was surprised he was still the bad guy after making a declaration of his affection towards her.

"I wasn't trying to embarrass you. I wanted you to know how I felt before you walked out of the door."

"If you were comfortable making such a scene back there, why were you so secretive about us before?" Seto was at a loss for words. From within the house, he could hear people beginning to count down to the last couple seconds. The new year was about to begin.

"_Seven!_"

"I don't know, I guess I just didn't know how I felt about you until now."

"_Six!_"

"Don't lie to me like that. You've known how you felt about me since the first time you took me on your helicopter." That was the problem with getting to know another person; eventually they did learn when the other person was being dishonest. Seto didn't want to lie anymore.

"_Five!_"

"Because I was scared, Kisara," Seto replied, "I didn't know what to expect. You don't know this but the moment we become involved with one another, that's it. The world will forever know that we are attached to one another and the world will act appropriately. My brother's life is in constant danger because of it and I didn't want that to happen to you too. I don't want you to live a life of fear like my brother does." Despite knowing that Kisara would probably walk away from him because of this, Seto knew it had to be said. She had to know what she was getting into before she regretted it for the rest of her life.

"_Four!_"

"Seto... I have never and will never care about what the rest of the world thinks of me. I have never been afraid of something worth fighting for, it's the reason I came to Japan in the first place and it's the reason I took your job offer to work at Kaiba Corp." Seto eyes widened. "You may not believe this but I was scared too... scared of feeling the way I feel about you right now."

"_Three!_"

"I'm not sure what else to say..."

"_Two!_"

"That's okay," Kisara said with a smile, "Neither do I."

"_One!_"

There had only been a handful of perfect moments that occurred in Kisara's life and she had never let a second of those moments slip away. Just as the crowd began to cheer and ring in the new year, Kisara pulled Seto in for a kiss. Their lips collided with one another in perfect symmetry. Kisara tightened her arms around Seto's neck and closed her eyes, taking the moment in. Seto's surprise slowly melted away and he too, wrapped his arms around her and let the kiss consume him into a euphoric bliss.

The new year had finally begun.

* * *

**A/N:** _Wow, this chapter was tough to write. First off, it's longer than a usual chapter is but I'm sure nobody minds. Everything that happened in this chapter had to happen in this one chapter so that's what happened there. Another thing that was difficult was that around this time in the story, people will probably be telling me how OOC Seto is because Seto and romance don't usually go together. Or if they do go together, they don't go together well. Seto is fine when it comes to being stupid in love/relationships but actually having one? NO WAY, THAT'S OOC. Well, sorry folks, if you hate it, you best move on to another story that suits because that's how it all went down. And yes, that kiss was real, deal with it! It took me FOREVER to figure out when the two of them would kiss and I decided this was just too good of a moment to pass up. And on a IRL note, Chicago was amazing. Thanks for reading and reviewing!_


	18. XVIII

_"If I could escape and recreate a place that's my own world,_

_And I could be your favorite girl—forever,_

_Perfectly together,_

_Tell me, boy, now wouldn't that be sweet?"_

Sweet Escape by Gwen Stefani

**XVIII**

When Kisara awoke that afternoon on January 1st, without a doubt, she was beyond exhausted... but she was incredibly happy. Kisara could recall the night before perfectly despite how exhausted she was. She and Seto had left the party almost immediately after the kiss they shared on the front porch. They hadn't realized at the time that the front door was wide open thus drawing a lot of attention to themselves when they finished kissing. They ran like a pair of fugitives down the street into another neighborhood and hid out there until Seto's driver showed up. From there, they ventured to Kisara's apartment where they sat and talked until the sun rose a few hours later.

There was something different about the way they talked all through the night that had made their pointless, and sometimes personal, chatter more meaningful than it had ever been previously. Could it have been because they had become "official" at the party? Was there something about being able to think of Seto and not having to be afraid of her own feelings that suddenly made Kisara more comfortable with the idea of liking Seto? There were so many thoughts and possibilities that were swirling around in Kisara's head. She was, however, far too tired from getting only five hours of sleep to attempt to understand them all. Still... she was happy, blissfully happy and that was what mattered most.

Kisara yawned a couple more times before making the grave decision to get out of bed. Her body felt sore and completely out of whack. Jet lag hadn't thrown her for a loop like staying up all night had. She couldn't imagine how Seto must've been dealing with the morning on top of his irregular sleeping patterns (a little known fact Seto explained the night before). Then she began to think that perhaps staying up all night has granted him the ability to sleep. Kisara had this sudden urge to call and ask him but she decided against it. She was being much too eager about this and she didn't want to scare him away on the first day.

Slowly making her way into the kitchen, Kisara had long since given up on the idea of making a half-hearted attempt to brush her teeth and headed straight for coffee instead. She flipped on the coffee maker and waited for the water to boil. The sun was high in the sky by now. Cocking her head to the side, she realized she hadn't seen her small living space with the curtains down this late in the day. It was past noon at that point in time so it seemed only natural to pull the curtains back and let in the sun. Upon sliding the curtains back, Kisara looked down and caught sight of a huge crowd that became frantic the moment they saw her standing in front of the window.

"That's her! She's awake!" One man shouted, causing even more energy and captivation amongst the crowd. The people below began snapping photos and pointing cameras in her direction. It took Kisara a few seconds to realize that it wasn't the apartment building they were taking pictures of but herself. She quickly pulled the curtains back again and took a step back. What was that about? There wasn't a lot of guessing she had to do in order to figure it out on her own. She had a good idea why these people were interested in her.

Kisara turned towards her phone lying on the ground beside her bed. She remembered an earlier thought she had; _It's the first day, I shouldn't call him_. Kisara ignored her initial instinct and dialed in Seto's number. The phone rang several times before someone finally picked up.

"Hello?" It was Mokuba who had picked up the phone.

"Mokuba, it's Kisara. I'm trying to reach your brother, is he around?"

"Yeah, let me get him," Mokuba said before turning away and calling for his brother, "Nii-sama, your girlfriend is on the phone!" A few moments later, Seto got on the phone.

"Kisara. Um... hello."

"Yeah, hi," Kisara said awkwardly. The two of them were still adjusting to their newly established relationship with one another, "Listen, I'm calling because I just woke up and there's a crowd of people with cameras outside of my house. I'm wondering if you would have any idea why that was." Seto certainly had one idea as to why.

"Okay, here's what's going to happen. I'm going to send over a car to come get you and bring you over here. In the mean time, I'll find someone to get those people away from your house. It shouldn't be too hard, I just have to make a couple calls." Kisara looked down at herself, still dressed in her pajamas.

"Wait, where will the car take me?"

"To my house. We'll need to set up some new arrangements now that we're together." Kisara felt strange hearing those words come out of Seto's mouth. The concept of them being together was still so foreign to her.

"To your house? But I'm still in my pajamas and I haven't even had breakfast yet. Are you sure it can't wait?"

"You have time to take a shower before the car comes to get you. And don't worry about breakfast, you can eat something at my house. You already know we have more food than we need over here, there's plenty for you to eat." Kisara smiled. Breakfast at her boyfriend's house... she definitely liked the sound of that! She turned off her coffee maker and ran over to the bathroom so she could turn on the water.

"Alright then, I'll see you soon. How will I know when the car is here to take me to your place?"

"I'll have someone come up and escort you out. I don't want anyone trying to assault you in trying to get a story out of you." Kisara didn't ask what story it was that the reporters would be trying to get from her. She agreed to what Seto said and then hung up. Just when she thought her life was complicated enough, her boyfriend had to end up being a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. Though Kisara couldn't claim she hadn't known this going into the relationship considering how much she did actually know about Seto and his company prior to coming to Japan in the first place, she had to admit she was surprised by how much attention he drew to himself just from the title he held.

After about an hour, Kisara received a knock on her door. When she opened the door, a huge, burly man in a black suit with sunglasses was standing in front of her. "Miss Safiya?" Kisara almost didn't reply. The man looked like he was supposed to be some sort of body guard or FBI agent working for the government... he couldn't have been here for Kisara. Then she remembered that Seto had mentioned he would be sending someone over to escort her to his home. Kisara nodded.

"Yep, that's me."

"Follow me, Miss. We have a limo waiting for you outside to take you to Master Kaiba's estate." Kisara followed him down to the elevator and let him lead the way as they headed towards the door. When they emerged from the apartment building, Kisara noticed there were even more men dressed in black suits, most of them keeping the reporters from getting too close. That, however, did not keep the cameras from taking pictures. The clicking and chatter of their cameras erupted all at once in addition to several reports shouting questions at Kisara.

"Kisara Safiya, can you define your relationship with Seto Kaiba?" One reporter shouted. Kisara said nothing, letting the bodyguard in front guide her to the limo. He kept a firm grip on her arm, encouraging her to look straight ahead and avoid any eye contact with the people shouting at her. Kisara found this to be quite easy considering how uncomfortable she felt having so much attention drawn to herself.

"Kisara Safiya, is it true that your hair is white due to the fact that you have a pre-aging condition?" Just before Kisara got into the car, she twisted her head.

"Excuse me?" The bodyguard quickly hurried her into the car and shut the door before she could say anything else. "They think I have a pre-aging condition because of my hair?"

"I wouldn't take it to heart, Miss Safiya. The press will assume anything before they know any of the facts," The limo driver assured her. Surprisingly, his comment didn't make Kisara feel any better about the situation. She couldn't get her discomfort out of her mind the entire ride over to the Kaiba Mansion.

"I believe Miss Safiya has arrived, Master Kaiba," Isono said in response to the doorbell ringing. Seto and Mokuba both just barely noticed the doorbell or Isono's comment, even after Kisara walked into the dining room to find the brothers busy looking at their laptops.

"Good to see you all were expecting me," Kisara said with her hands on her hips. Seto looked up and immediately rose to his feet when he saw Kisara present.

"Oh, Kisara, you're here... sorry about that. Please, sit down. I'll get you something to eat." Kisara walked over to the table and sat down next to Mokuba.

"Good morning, Mokuba," Kisara said in an attempt to grab Mokuba's attention.

"Morning." Mokuba didn't look up from his laptop. Kisara thanked Seto after he placed a plate of food in front of her before returning to a laptop of his own.

"Jeez, what are you two looking at that is so interesting?" Kisara asked, leaning over to see what was on Mokuba's screen. There was some sort of gossip column article that Mokuba was reading. There was a low resolution picture, one that had probably been taken on a cell phone, of a couple kissing in the dark. The flash from the phone just barely shed light on the faces of the two love birds. "Aw, those two look cute. Is the article about the couple in the picture?"

"Yep, it's about you and Nii-sama." Kisara's eyes widened. She leaned in closer to get a better look. It turned out that the two people in the picture were, in fact, Seto and her. Someone at the party must've taken a picture of them while they were kissing. Mokuba turned to Kisara with the widest grin on his face, "So... how long have you two been kissing each other? This is new to me." Kisara turned red.

"That was our first kiss, Mokuba. Now lay off," Seto said in a stern voice. He was typing ferociously on his laptop, his eyes fixated only on the screen in front of him. "I knew I should've been more careful about this. How could I have forgotten I was standing right in front of someone's house when that happened?"

"Did the kiss happen before or after you assaulted some guy who goes to your school?" Kisara looked back at the screen. Mokuba was right; the bit about Jiro and Seto's tiff was written in there in addition to an inarticulate account of Seto's declaration of love for Kisara. "It says here that 'Kaiba said, 'We are together and will be forever. I love you more than my brother and I've never felt a love like this before'... Nii-sama, did you really say all of that?"

"Mokuba, I didn't say anything remotely close to that. I'm not that cliché and I would never say I loved anyone more than you."

"There was certainly no mention of love... but he did say we were together," Kisara clarified, awkwardly looking over at Seto. Suddenly it seemed like everything had gotten out of control and there was no way to stop it. As if their feelings for each other weren't confusing enough, it didn't help that the whole world was trying to blow things out of proportion. Mokuba turned to Kisara and then to Seto.

"So wait, does that mean you guys are now...?" Seto looked up from his computer and Kisara glanced over at him. Their eyes met for a moment and then turned back to Mokuba. Seto nodded.

"That is correct." Mokuba smiled.

"That's awesome! I'm so happy you guys got together. I was worried Nii-sama would never get around to asking you out." Kisara smiled as well.

"I'm happy, too. The only thing I'm confused about now is what the big fuss is about. I mean, they're writing articles about us already? It's not like we're getting married or something."

"Yes, but the public doesn't care about that."

"Then what do they care about? I can't be so interesting that people want to camp out in front of my apartment building like they were this afternoon." Seto sighed.

"You're the first girlfriend I've ever had. That's what they care about." Mokuba leaned over to Kisara.

"It confirms that he's not in the closet," Mokuba whispered.

"Hey now," Seto said in a stern voice.

"It's true! The public has been speculating for years. This article even mentions it. 'This act of love is not only a declaration of affection for Safiya but also a confirmation of the years of speculation concerning the sexuality of Seto Kaiba.'" Seto shook his head in disdain.

"Ugh, I can't believe the crap people publish these days. It's absolutely idiotic that people would assume a person is homosexual based only on the fact that they've never been with anyone before."

"And let's not forget the special individuals who think you and I are romantically involved in addition to being brothers," Mokuba added, shuddering with disgust. There was nothing more revolting to Mokuba than the idea of someone actually believing his older brother loved him like_ that_.

"Don't remind me," Seto said and then sighed again. Kisara felt out of place in the conversation. She had never had an article written about her nor had she ever experienced 'the public' having an opinion of her. It was all overwhelming to deal with all at once. She wasn't sure she could right in that instant.

"So what do we do now?" Kisara asked with the slightest bit of concern in her voice, "I mean, are there going to be reporters outside of my apartment forever? Am I going to need a bodyguard just to date you?" Maybe she hadn't thought this whole relationship thing through. Dating Seto Kaiba in theory was a great idea but in execution... she hadn't thought that far ahead. She hadn't actually pictured that he would ever remotely like her in that way... nor did she predict she would feel the same. It was thrilling but it was nerve-wrecking. Her life had practically changed overnight because of it.

Kisara didn't have to say any of her thoughts, Seto could tell just from looking at her that she was concerned and overwhelmed by everything that was going on. Seto rose from his seat and went over to her, grabbing her hand. "Look, I know this is all happening very fast and if this seems too difficult to get through, maybe it would be best if we just end it right here and right now." Mokuba stopped what he was doing to watch. His brother couldn't be serious, could he? This was the girl he had been pining after for weeks on end. How could he be willing to drop her right after he got her? Mokuba quickly got up from his seat, knowing instinctively that this was a private conversation that shouldn't include him. He quietly left the room without notice.

"You want to break up with me already? It hasn't even been a full day yet."

"No, I don't want to break up... I just want you to be happy and I would understand if this life isn't what would make you happy. I told you last night that being associated with me comes with a lot of consequences and certain things you'll have to endure. I don't want you to suffer just to be with me," Seto looked down at his hands that had become intertwined with hers, "I don't want to hurt you like he did." Kisara instinctually knew who what 'he' Seto was referring to in that sentence: her ex-boyfriend.

Though she still had yet to reveal any concrete facts about her past relationship, there wasn't much that needed to be said in order to understand that she had been incredibly hurt by the last relationship she was in. She had once described it as him taking her heart and not only shattering it in to a million pieces but also smashing the remains repeatedly. Even as she stood there, her hands holding Seto's, she couldn't be sure whether her heart had been entirely put back together since she and her ex had gone separate ways. She, however, was willing to believe that Seto could repair that which might very well be beyond repair.

"You won't hurt me, at least not in the way he did," Kisara assured him, touching Seto's face with her hand, "You're a good person which means there's a chance I won't suffer half as much as I did when I was with him. I've got a good feeling about it." She smiled and Seto could never get over how beautiful her face was when he saw her smile.

It was then that Seto couldn't resist the urge to kiss her. Seto tried to forget about it but then he saw that her hands were in his, his body against hers, her smile directed at him. After all these months of trying to avoid their own feelings for one another, they were finally in a situation where they didn't have to be afraid of being attracted to one another. It would take time for him to feel comfortable with these feelings of vulnerability but for now... he was just happy to lean in and kiss her.

* * *

**A/N:** _Like I mentioned before, this is probably where people will feel the urge to start rioting in the streets screaming, "SETO IS BEING OOC! GO DIE IN THE PIT OF FIRE FROM WHICH YOU CAME!" Though I was pleasantly surprised I didn't get that from pretty much all of you who reviewed last chapter and I appreciate all of your trust in me and my writing that backs the idea that this isn't OOC. :) I've been writing stories about the Kaiba Brothers for nearly nine years so I'm glad to see all of this training has led to this one moment in life where I can write a romance story revolving around Seto and no one will throw pitchforks at me because of it. XD Anyway, this chapter was pretty easy to write (I think I actually wrote the whole thing a day or two after posting the last update) but actually sitting down to edit was definitely what took up the entire month. As you can probably figure, college has started back up which means I will have less time to dedicate to writing but as always, I will try and update on or near the 12th of each month. Thanks everyone for your reviews and your support! _


	19. XIX

"_But does she really wanna,_

_But can't stand to see me walk out the door._

_Don't try to fight the feeling,_

_Because the thought alone is killing me right now."_

Hey Ya by Outkast

**XIX**

Winter break came and went so soon everything had returned back to normal. School began once more, people returned from vacation to go back to work, and life seemed as though nothing had ever changed. Things had changed, however, and for Seto… his entire perspective on life had been warped practically overnight. Kisara continued to work for Seto as she always had but Seto could never seem to focus on his work the way he had before. Having Kisara work from across the room had become so distracting. How had he ever gotten any work done before?

As much as they tried to keep their romance out of the work place, it was difficult dealing with the attraction they felt towards each other. Admittedly, Seto had spent some days doing no work at all. They would take a five minute coffee break together which would then turn into a five hour long conversation. Their topic of conversation ranged from everything under the sun and sometimes even the beyond. Kisara was so interesting, so intriguing, so full of thoughts and feelings. She had so much to say and Seto had to admit that at times, he would get lost just staring at her. He loved to listen, but her beauty was beyond anything he had ever seen. It was as though the more he got to know her, the more attractive she became and the more attractive she became the more he began to feel—

"Mr. Kaiba, there's someone here to see you." Seto jumped at the sound of his secretary's voice originating from the intercom on his desk. Kisara had seen the sudden movement from the corner of her eye and looked up from the laptop in front of her.

"Well, who is it? Did I have an appointment scheduled with someone?" Seto looked over at Kisara, searching for an answer. Kisara quickly opened the calendar of appointments on the laptop but found there was no appointments scheduled, at least not for a couple hours. Kisara looked back at Seto and shook her head.

"No, this person says they didn't schedule an appointment with you, Sir."

"Well then, send them away. I'm not running a book signing here, no one can just walk in here and expect to see me."

"He says he knows you personally and that you'd want to meet with him." It was at that moment that Kisara became intrigued with the identity of this guest, as well as Seto. There weren't very many people who could claim to have known Seto 'personally' so the idea that this person said they did made the situation a lot more interesting.

"Send him up," Seto said into the intercom after a long pause. Kisara got up from her desk and walked over to him.

"Who do you think it could be?" Kisara asked.

"I'm not sure. Probably just another lunatic I can add to my restraining order list. It's better these people come to me than for me to have an altercation with them on the street."

"Oh, I see." Kisara was still just getting used to dating a pseudo-celebrity. Even though Seto and Kisara had been dating for a little over a month, his celebrity status was a lot to get used to. Always having to rent out private restaurants and have body guards whenever they were in public took a bit of getting used to but after a while, she had seen the value in having to rent out entire restaurants and having body guards surrounding them every second. The world was crazy… crazy about them! For a while, their pictures were the only things put on the front page of magazines. It was strange but Kisara was so happy to be with Seto that she didn't care.

The atmosphere became instantly filled with tension when the door opened and a man in a red suit stepped inside. Seto immediately rose to his feet.

"Why the hell did my secretary let you in?" Seto said loudly, borderline yelling at the intruder. The man smirked.

"For the right price, people are willing to do anything. Besides, I know for a fact you don't pay your workers enough so it's not surprising that they fall for bribes so easily," then the attention was shifted from Seto to Kisara, "I bet you don't even pay this one enough to work here and be your girlfriend at the same time." He held out his hand towards Kisara, "My name is Pegasus, by the way. Maximillion Pegasus."

Kisara reached out to shake his hand but Seto stepped in between them. "What is it that you want, Pegasus? Why are you here? Explain yourself."

"What's wrong with wanting to visit a dear old friend of mine?"

"How about we start with the fact that we aren't friends and end with you leaving my office before I'm forced to call security?" Kisara felt a little out of place being present during the conversation Seto was having for Pegasus. It didn't involve her and yet she couldn't help but want to see more. Seto was so angry and Pegasus was so… cordial. She knew Pegasus was in charge of Industrial Illusions but she wasn't aware of the issues they had with one another outside of owning companies that worked in the same field.

Pegasus then turned to her, "So this is the famous Kisara Safiya that's been making all the headlines these days? My, her face is even prettier than it is on those magazines. And you must be bright if you're able to keep up with Seto Kaiba over here and all the work he has you do." Seto turned away to look at Kisara.

"Kisara, how about you take your break right now? Go grab some lunch or something. Have Isono drive you and I'll see you in twenty minutes."

"Oh, are you sure? I was just in the middle of building that client spreadsheet you wanted me to make."

"It's fine, you can do it when you get back. I'll see you in twenty." Kisara slowly nodded and then grabbed her coat and left. If Seto wanted to give her a break and pay for the time she was taking to eat rather than work, she would take it. Seto waited for her to leave and shut the door before speaking again. "So what is this really about, Pegasus? You better get to the point and tell me why you're here or I'm going to have you thrown out."

"May I have a seat?" Pegasus asked, taking the chair placed in front of Seto's desk before sitting down, "How's your brother?" Seto's eyes narrowed and said nothing. Pegasus looked all around. "I don't see him here. I expected to see him when I came considering he usually never leaves your side but I suppose you don't require his attendance with that little assistant of yours around."

"If I were you, I would stop before you say something that really pisses me off. Just get to the point already. I know you came here for a reason so why don't you just spit it out." Pegasus sighed.

"Oh, Kaiba-boy, I was only trying to feign interest in your pathetic life but yes, you're right. I didn't come all this way to hear about how your brother's doing," Pegasus crossed his legs and leaned back in his chair, "I wanted to give you a heads up about the spy that's working within your company. With the Tokyo Game Show coming up in July, I thought you would want to know that someone within Kaiba Corp. has given your hologram technology blueprints to another gaming company and said company is planning on showing off your inventions to pass them as their own." Seto started to laugh.

"Oh please, a spy? Do you take me for an idiot or something, Pegasus? I know for a fact that none of my blueprints were 'stolen' but rather my business was transferred from one potential client to you. How dare you walk into this office and act like you have no idea that it's your company that is responsible for stealing my client's business."

"You think that stolen business is the only thing at stake here? Kaiba, you are sorely mistaken. This is about so much more than a stolen client, someone has stolen your blueprints and sold it to another company." Seto's eyes narrowed, not willing to believe one word that was coming out of Pegasus's mouth.

"Do you take me for some sort of fool? You're just making this whole thing up because you have nothing to show this year at the biggest gaming convention in Japan."

"I'm telling you the truth. There's someone in your company who is making big bucks off of your ideas."

"Even if that was true, which it's not, but even if it was, why should I believe you of all people? How could you know about something like this unless you were the one buying the blueprints from this so-called 'spy'?" Pegasus sighed.

"Because the spy tried to sell the blueprints to me." Pegasus waited patiently for Seto's reply, studying his reaction to the news. He didn't appear shocked in the least. In fact, he didn't seem shocked at all. If anything, Seto seemed annoyed by what Pegasus had told him than anything else.

"Is this your idea of some kind of joke? If so, you've wasted a very long plane ride over here. If that's all you came to say, then you can leave."

"Kaiba, I don't think you understand. I didn't come all the way here to prank you. I came here because…" Pegasus paused for a moment before continuing, "Despite our differences and the issues we had in the past, I do respect you and consider us friends… to a certain extent." Pegasus's eyes suddenly shifted to Kisara's laptop. It had been left open on her desk. Seto caught on to where Pegasus's attention had fallen but he was uninterested in the implications of it. At that moment, he was just insulted that Pegasus would dare to call him his 'friend.'

"Look Pegasus, I don't need your 'heads up' or anything that could be interpreted as help. I am especially uninterested in help from you. We ARE NOT and WILL NEVER BE friends, you got that? After you kidnapped my brother, locked him in a dungeon on a remote island, and tried to take over my company, you're going to have the audacity to say we're friends and you're just trying to help me out? Who the hell do you think you are?" Seto picked up the phone on his desk and started dialing. "Get me security right away, please."

Pegasus rose from his seat as Seto viciously threw down the phone onto the receiver. "You don't need to worry, I can escort myself out." Pegasus turned towards the door and started walking.

"So now you know how to take a hint? Get out of my sight." Just before Pegasus opened the door, he stopped and turned back around.

"You know, she really is beautiful." Seto looked up, his eyes suddenly burned with rage as he rose from his seat.

"You stay away from her. You got that? If you so much as stay in the same room with her…" Pegasus shook his head.

"You can't protect her. And you know that… don't you?" Seto's body froze for a second before immediately responding.

"You're wrong."

"This girl… Kisara? She's not your brother. She doesn't live with you. You can't possibly think having her work here in your office four hours a day, five days a week, will really keep her out of harm's way. It won't. You can't." Before Seto could answer, just before security arrived, a split second before Seto contemplated smashing Pegasus's face into the door… his cell phone rang. Seto picked up the phone right away.

"What is it?" Seto demanded to know from the voice on the other side.

"Master Kaiba, it's Isono. I'm calling to report to you that Kisara's been assaulted. We're at a coffee shop a couple blocks away with the police. Kisara's fine but she's a little shaken up." Seto hung up the phone before speaking. By then, security had arrived and was in the process of escorting Pegasus to the elevator. Seto dashed out of the office without any sort of coat on, and ran towards the elevator. He didn't bother to try and hear what Pegasus called out to him as he passed. All he cared about was getting to Kisara.

* * *

"Isono, you really didn't have to call the police and you definitely didn't have to call Seto. I'm fine, really," Kisara stated to Isono, slightly annoyed by the EMT that was looking her over to make sure she was okay. The fact was that she was okay and the only thing that happened was that some guy in the coffee shop was getting a little too close for comfort. Or, well, more than just a little too close for comfort, but still.

Everyone's heads turned as Seto burst through the door. "Where is she?!" Seto yelled. Kisara stood up.

"Um, hi there." Seto quickly ran to her.

"Are you alright? Are you hurt? What happened?" Seto was examining her body from head to toe.

"Seto, I'm fine. Really. Please calm down. It was nothing."

"It must've been more than something. The police are here and there's an ambulance outside! Isono told me you were assaulted."

"But I really wasn't." Seto raised an eyebrow at her.

"You weren't?"

"Master Kaiba, allow me to explain," Isono stated, joining Seto and Kisara's conversation, "While we were waiting for our coffee to be made, a strange man in his mid-twenties came up to Kisara and started asking questions about the state of her relationship with you. When she politely told the man to leave her alone, he continued to bombard her with questions to the point where she tried to leave. When she did this, the man grabbed her by the wrist and jerked her backwards trying to keep her from leaving…"

"And then the next thing you know, Isono grabs the guy by the shoulders and throws him to the ground like some kind of martial artist! It was pretty remarkable. Not sure when he had time to call the cops but it seemed like five seconds later, the cops were all here. It was insane!" Kisara cut in, "The reflexes on that guy are amazing but like I said, it was nothing." Seto's face was expressionless. Kisara couldn't tell what he was feeling and she was worried that she had upset him.

"Is this all true, Isono?" Isono nodded.

"Look, Seto, I'm really sorry. I didn't know this would happen." Seto turned to Isono.

"Would you answer any further questions the police have about this? I need a moment alone with Kisara." Isono nodded, moving the people who were still in the coffee shop outside to give Seto and Kisara some space. Kisara turned her head at Seto's touch as he held her wrists in his hands. His eyes were fixated only on what was in his hands.

"I can't protect you." Kisara had the slightest idea of where the conversation was going and refused to participate. She pulled her wrists back.

"I don't need protection. I'm a grown woman."

"He could've hurt you and even if he couldn't, there are others out there that can," Seto looked up, "I don't want to be the reason that you get hurt. I can't do this to another person in my life."

"Don't say that, Seto. Please don't say that. I can take self-defense classes. I can carry brass knuckles. I'll do anything just to get you to stop looking at me like we're breaking up." Seto wasn't sure what else there was to it. The last thing he wanted was to drag another innocent person into his dangerous life. Seto couldn't recall how much his brother had suffered because of the power he held in Domino City. Most days he tried to avoid thinking about it out of guilt and the immense self-loathing it would bring. The longer he was with Kisara, the worse it would be. He had to break it off before she really got hurt.

"You better stop it right now. Stop looking at me that way. I know what you're thinking and it's not going to happen." Seto broke out of his deep train of thought and looked at Kisara again. He decided it was too late to reason with her. Now he had to act angry.

"You don't get to decide. Whether or not you're aware of what you're getting yourself into doesn't matter. This stops right now." Seto turned away, hoping that the phrase 'this stops right now' effectively meant that he and Kisara had broken up. Kisara grabbed his hand before he could walk away from her.

"Nope, that's not how this is going to work. You are not going to break up with me over this. You like me… at least I think you like me. And you know what? I like you too. And now we're in this together, no matter what dangers it may bring."

"You don't understand. I have to do this! I don't want to hurt you."

"And guess what? I don't want to get hurt either but I guess that makes two of us who can't listen to our own advice because the fact of the matter is, if you really didn't want to hurt me, you wouldn't have kissed me the night we went to that party together." Seto didn't have anything to say to that and Kisara was happy he didn't. She grabbed him and pulled him in for a kiss, the same way she had the night they had gotten together only that time it was different. That time Seto wasn't surprised, he was happy. He was happy to try and believe he lived in a world where Kisara could be safe and they could be together. Kisara was happy too, for not only did her method seemed to have worked in providing Seto proof that they could work as a couple but she also couldn't help but be grossly aware of the fact that it was February 7th which meant one thing.

Valentine's Day was in a week.

* * *

**A/N:** _GASP. Valentine's Day is in a week?! You know what that means… yep, next chapter is the Valentine's Day chapter! Woohoo! I know how excited you all must be. I myself already have a bit of a head start on the next chapter just to show you how excited I am for it. I'm gonna be honest, I was actually thinking about skipping the holiday just because they've been going out for so little time but then I realized… that's a perfect Valentine's Day experience to write! Especially since I can draw from my own experience. Valentine's Day was our two month anniversary when my boyfriend and I first started going out so I'll probably end up drawing a lot of the chapter from my own experience which should be fun. ;D Thanks for reading and reviewing, everyone! I'm glad you all have been enjoying this as much as I have. I hope you enjoyed the 10/11/12 update. See you in a month!_

_P.S: I love the song, "Hey Ya" so much… both the original and the acoustic version!_


	20. XX

"_I haven't been this scared in a long time._

_And I'm so unprepared, so here's your valentine._

_Bouquet of clumsy words, a simple melody._

_This world's an ugly place, but you're so beautiful to me."_

Going Away to College by Blink-182

**XX**

To be honest, Kisara had no idea what to expect as she walked into work Monday morning on February 14th. It wasn't that she was trying to be shy or cute by not having expectations, it was just that she honestly couldn't have any. Her relationship with Seto was less than two months old… she didn't even know what their relationship was or meant so how could she know what the "love" holiday was supposed to mean to her? Truthfully, Kisara might've even preferred to be single on this particular holiday because at least she wouldn't feel like she had to have expectations at all.

Going to school had made the holiday all the more awkward. The girls in her classes had found ways to dress themselves up, despite having to wear uniforms, more so than usual. Their hair looked like it was professionally done, they had painted their nails a bright red fully knowing they would have to take it off the next day because of uniform regulations, and everything any girl said was talking about the boys.

"Did you hear what Naomi got from her boyfriend?"

"I wonder what Masato is getting for his girlfriend."

"I can't wait to see where Kyo takes me for dinner!" Kisara wanted to sew her ears shut. Just hearing everyone's anticipation gave her anxiety. There was so much build-up about Valentine's Day, a holiday she had only celebrated once in the past and… it wasn't a time she wanted to think about. She was with someone else now and yet how did _he _always manage to slip back into her head?

Kisara could almost say she was relieved to go to work because at least then she wouldn't be around the girls at her school. Although the bouquets of roses on the women's desks seemed to stare at her the entire walk it took to get to Seto's office, for the most part, she felt her heart could be at ease. That was until she actually walked into Seto's office… where she found nothing and no one to be found. All of the build-up, all of the anxiety, all of her emotions that had been swelled up inside her to the point where she was at the verge of tears and to return to an empty office made her break down.

Kisara slammed the door shut before falling to her knees, sobbing. Suddenly it wasn't about Valentine's Day anymore. She was consumed by emotions entirely unrelated to Valentine's Day. She had never felt so alone in her life and the emptiness she felt in her heart being away from her family couldn't be shut away in denial any longer. The truth was that she had loved seeing her family for her birthday for two weeks but the visit had only made the wound of being apart from them deeper. She had realized, in spending time with them, how much she missed being with them and how empty her life was without them. The relationship with Seto had, to some extent, distracted her from her pain but it was then that it was all truly coming out. She really missed her family.

Kisara cried for a good hour, by herself, sitting on the floor of an empty office. The emptiness of the office, which had originally deepened her pain, eventually brought a sort of peace and calm to her mind. The solitude of the office and the echoing of her sobs helped her to slowly come to a point of relaxation and put things in perspective. Yes, she was alone, but she wanted to be in Japan more than anything. She was on her way to achieving her dream. She had proven to herself that she could be independent despite the odds. She had met the man of her…

Kisara looked up. That was when she realized she hadn't seen or spoken to Seto all day. He hadn't gone to school that day nor, did he appear, to plan on coming to work. Not only that, but it was Valentine's Day so what was Seto doing? Kisara, feeling a lot better after a good cry, decided to get up from the ground and go to her desk. At that point, it didn't matter to her where or what Seto was doing on this horrid, nerve-wrecking holiday. She had come to work with the intention of working and that's exactly what she planned to do, whether Seto was there or not, whether it was Valentine's Day or not. There was work to be done and thus, she pressed on.

* * *

It was four o'clock when Mokuba arrived at home and he was bursting with excitement. Isono had picked him up from school which Mokuba could only assume meant that Seto was out and about with Kisara, being romantic and having a grand old time. He couldn't wait for his brother to return home so that Mokuba could hear all the mushy gushy details of his and Kisara's Valentine's Day date. For the most part, romance usually made the thirteen year old gag but he really liked Seto with Kisara. The two of them were a good match for each other and anyone who knew Seto the way Mokuba did could tell.

Too excited to think about anything else, Mokuba decided to wander into his brother's room. He figured it would be a while before Seto would return home that night and he wished to entertain himself by seeing if there were any clues in Seto's home office that could indicate where Seto would be taking Kisara that day. When Mokuba burst into his brother's room, however, he was surprised to find his brother sitting in his office chair, his body limp and his head positioned in front of a blank computer screen. For a moment, Mokuba could've sworn he was dead.

"Nii-sama!?" Seto's body jerked forward and twisted around.

"What's wrong?!" Seto turned to see Mokuba staring at him, holding a mixed expression of horror and surprise on his face. "Oh, it's you, Mokuba. What are you doing home? Shouldn't you be at school?" Seto yawned, stretching his arms above his head when he did. Mokuba inched towards his brother, completely dumbfounded by the fact that his brother was already home.

"It's four o'clock, Nii-sama. School is over. I'm more concerned with what you're doing here. Did you not go to school today?" Mokuba looked over his brother's shoulder to see what Seto had been working on. The only words on the page were, 'Dear Kisara.' Mokuba's eyes widened. "Oh no… you haven't spent the entire day working on something to say to Kisara, have you?! Please tell me that's not what you've been doing." Seto glared at Mokuba before turning back around to his computer.

"So what if I have?" Mokuba grabbed the office chair and spun it again so his brother was facing him.

"Why would you wait until today to do this?! Kisara probably thinks you want to break up with her for ditching her on Valentine's Day! You realize she's at work alone right now, don't you?"

"Of course I do! But it wasn't my fault for being late… I didn't realize it was Valentine's Day until I got up early this morning and turned on my computer. It was the only thing that the internet was talking about and I panicked when it dawned on me that I actually had to care about this holiday." Mokuba grabbed Seto's arm and tried to pull his brother out of the chair he was sitting in. Seto promptly refused, pulling his arm out of Mokuba's grasp, "Mokuba, quit it! What's wrong with you?" Mokuba looked offended to hear Seto's response.

"What's wrong with me?! Nii-sama, your girlfriend is at the office ALONE and you haven't seen her all day... on the most important day of the year, too! I bet you haven't even tried to call her, have you?" Seto looked even more offended than Mokuba did.

"Yeah, well… what am I supposed to do?! I understand this is the most important day of the year and that's why I spent all day at home. I didn't want to see or call Kisara until I had thought of something noteworthy to say to her," Seto looked away briefly, embarrassed by his own incompetence in the field of romance, "Unfortunately that was when I realized I didn't know what to say to her." Mokuba shook his head.

"Ugh! Nii-sama, why on earth would you think to spend all your time telling her how you feel? You have a hard enough time telling yourself how you feel. No, what you're supposed to give a girl is chocolate, or flowers, or some stuffed animal or something. Don't try to tell her nice things, you barely know how to compliment people!" Seto's eyes widened at the sound of Mokuba's brilliance. What HAD he been thinking trying to think of something to say to Kisara? How could he have been so stupid?

Seto rose from his chair, as if with newfound inspiration, but his face went blank once more when he realized the other problem with his plan. "Okay, so I won't tell her anything… but now I don't know what to get her."

"Didn't I just tell you what to get her? Chocolate, flowers, stuffed animals, a meal at a nice restaurant… or something like that! It's the kind of stuff they do in the movies."

"Yes, I heard you suggest those things the first time but then that brings the question of what kind of chocolate does she like. I mean, is she allergic to any? Is she allergic to chocolate in general? Or flowers… maybe getting her roses would seem too cliché, or perhaps she only likes flowers that are yellow. And as for a nice restaurant… well, I suppose that would be the easy part." Mokuba interrupted his brother's thought process to drag him out of his chair and over to the bathroom.

"Look, those are all things to think about, but you can figure this all out while you're getting ready. You need to take a shower, fix your hair, shave your face, and do whatever else you need to do. I'll find you a nice suit to wear while you get ready…" Mokuba wandered over to Seto's closet. His wardrobe didn't contain a large variety of styles but Mokuba was willing to accept the challenge of finding something unique for this Valentine's Day date.

"I don't think I need you picking out what clothes I'm going to wear. I'm not five years old, I'm a grown man," Seto said over the rushing water from the shower he started. He waited a few moments for the water to heat up before de-clothing himself.

Just as Seto was about to start the process by taking off his shirt, he noticed his brother's presence and turned around. Mokuba was standing in the doorway with the widest grin on his face. "Oh Nii-sama, no matter how tall or handsome you are, I'll always see you as my little Nii-sama!" Mokuba ran over and leapt into his brother's arms. Though surprised, Seto caught him with ease and laughed. He knew Mokuba was saying this in order to poke fun at the fact that Seto always saw Mokuba as his baby brother. Even holding him now and with the steam of the hot water rising in the air, Seto's mind faded back to a simpler time when Mokuba was just a baby and Seto would bathe him. It almost scared Seto to hold his younger brother, not realizing until now how much his younger brother had grown since the last time he held him. He pulled his brother into a closer hug just at the realization of how fast time was slipping by.

"Um, Nii-sama… you can let go now. I think the water is heated up enough," Mokuba said, subtly nudging Seto to put him down. Seto did as Mokuba suggested and put him down, watching him run out of the bathroom so that Seto could get fully undressed and take a shower. Still… his mind kept on thinking about how much time was slipping by. Mokuba was thirteen, Seto was eighteen, and Kisara was his girlfriend. How strange his life had become since this girl from Egypt came into his life. The times were certainly changing.

* * *

It was around eight o'clock at night that Kisara decided to stop working and pack up. Of course, she knew she could've left earlier (or really at any time she wanted), but her break down earlier had inspired her to do a full day of work. After the hour long cry, she felt refreshed and motivated. The obstacles she faced living in Japan alone simply didn't seem as bad as not having a family at all. She loved her family and the distance between them only made her stronger as a person. She was feeling so good about this moment of clarity and self-actualization that Seto barely even crossed her mind at all while she worked.

Kisara shut down her computer and slipped on her jacket, hoping that if she walked quickly enough she would be able to catch the 8:30 bus home. When she looked up, she was surprised to see Seto standing in the doorway, wearing the most strapping suit she had ever seen on him. His luxurious suit, however, didn't conceal the fact that Seto looked worried and upset as he stared at her. Kisara ignored the suit when she saw Seto's face, instantly becoming worried.

"Is everything okay, Seto?" Seto flipped out a bouquet of flowers and a box of chocolates before Kisara came any closer. She looked from his face to the items in his hands before back up to his face once again. She walked over to him and said nothing. Seto shrugged.

"I'm sorry I messed this whole day up. I forgot what today was until this morning and then I spent the whole day trying to think of something to say to you. When I couldn't think of anything, I got you these," Seto said, his voice filled with utter disappointment in himself, "Oh yeah, and I rented out a restaurant for us to go to as well. I didn't call you because I didn't want to talk to you until I had something to say for myself. When I couldn't come up with anything, I showed up here, hoping that maybe seeing me would change your mind about dumping me." Kisara's eyes looked up.

"Dump you? Who said I would do that?"

"Well, no one did but isn't that typically what women do when they're upset with a guy?" It wasn't Seto's naivety that struck Kisara in that moment, it was how apologetic he was about the whole situation. Working with Seto meant that she had seen him at his harshest, that she would see people getting viciously fired without a second thought. Kisara almost never saw Seto apologize so to see him apologize to her showed just how much she meant to him… to see him scared of losing her only emphasized this fact.

Without another word, Kisara barreled into his arms and dug her face into his chest. Seto immediately dropped everything in his hands to wrap his arms around her, a instinctual reaction he hadn't expected from himself, much less a hug from Kisara! During the whole drive there, he had expected the exact opposite. He graciously hugged her back and for a moment, he felt like the happiest man in the world. Kisara raised her head to look up at him, her arms still wrapped tightly around Seto's waist. She pushed her face up towards Seto and moved in for a kiss. Seto gladly received and reciprocated the kiss and the two stood there silently, letting the pressure of their lips do all the talking they needed.

When the kissing ceased between them, Seto smiled and told her, "Happy Valentine's Day."

To which Kisara replied with, "I've never been so happy on Valentine's Day." Kisara had to keep herself from crying after that because her day of solitude made her realize why she would be okay living apart from her family and friends. Although she would always love her family more than anything in the world, Seto made her feel accepted and loved in a way that made it seem like he was her home away from home. As if she had never left her family, as if home was where the heart was… and her heart was with Seto. Not her whole heart, but in time she could see herself eventually surrendering her whole heart to him. Nevertheless, the idea of surrendering herself completely to these feelings for Seto left her with a tinge of trepidation and the unfathomable fear of 'what if.'

* * *

**A/N:** _It's an awesome feeling to finish chapter 20, especially since there are so many more chapters to come before this story is over! Every time I think I'm going to be late posting a chapter, I never am. I love how writing fanfiction has still managed to stay in my schedule despite all the craziness that's been going on in my life, it's delightful! A big thanks should go out to you guys, though, because you all say some of the nicest things in the world and it really puts a smile on my face. It really does! I should take a picture of myself next time I get a review from you guys just to show you. :) Anyhow, so this was my Valentine's Day chapter coming to you a day earlier than expected. My day tomorrow is going to be crazy registering for classes… anyhow. Not sure if the next chapter will come on time or early or late but I guess all of us will soon find out! Thanks for reading and I'll hear from you guys in another month! Cheers!_


	21. XXI

"_It is love._

_From the first_

_Time I set my eyes upon yours_

_Thinking, 'Oh, is it love?'"_

Oh, It Is Love by Hellogoodbye

**XXI**

The last three months had gone by quickly for Kisara. Although work never took breaks, it didn't dawn on her until the middle of May that there was less than a month left in the school year. Kisara never missed a day of school but with work and with Seto usually preoccupying her at or after work, she hardly paid attention to what was going on in school. Her grades remained unaffected and with her recent acceptance to the prestigious Yokohama School of Business, her focus continued to be fixated on doing well in school. Unfortunately, being so focused on her grades meant that most of the school year had gone by without her getting to know the people around her or being aware of school events. She mostly relied on overhearing other students' conversations to know about the latest school functions.

"I hear the theme for this year's Graduation Dance is going to be Overseas Fantasies. I think they're trying to get us to want to learn more about other cultures or something like that. It's so stupid, since when did dances have to be educational?" Kisara's attention was immediately taken away from the book she was reading at the word 'dance' and turned around to the two girls talking behind her.

"Did you guys say there's going to be a dance?" The girls honestly looked surprised, as if the question had come out of nowhere.

"Um, yeah, haven't you heard? It's all everyone's talking about," One girl stated.

"It's all anyone's ever talked about," The other girl added, "Once a year, the graduating class has a dance that happens the night after graduation. It's sort of a celebration for the seniors who are graduating; one last night to party together before we all go our separate ways to college. Do they not have that in Egypt?"

Kisara couldn't really remember if they did. Her days as an underclassmen were spent barely noticing what the upperclassmen were up to and by the time she was a junior in high school, she had become so involved with her romantic relationship at the time that she hardly noticed anything else. The only dances she had gone to were ones that revolved around family or holidays. The mentioning of a school dance, though, got her interested because in her heart of hearts, she loved to dance.

When class began, Kisara could barely focus on the lecture her teacher was giving. Her mind drifted into scenarios, imagining the music they would play, the moves she would display… her hands began to softly sway to music she heard in her head. She had always loved to dance, ever since she was a little girl. It wasn't that she was a great dancer, in fact, the way she danced probably made her not so great. Kisara loved to let the music take over, though, and that was what truly got her going. On the dance floor, the music was her only muse and she never had a care in the world. The only trouble she found in attending dances was finding someone to go with her. As much as she didn't care how she looked when she danced, Kisara did feel out of place going by herself.

Upon hearing there would be a Graduation Dance, however… it was all she could think about and naturally Seto was present in her imagined scenarios of attending it. The two of them had been 'official' for over four months so naturally her ideal world included him taking her to the dance. Nevertheless, in dating him for four months and having worked with him for eight, she had come to learn a few things about Seto. The first thing was that Seto hated social events that weren't business related. The second related to the first; the reason he hated social events was because he hated people—more specifically being around a lot of people—therefore making the only social events he ever went to business related. Kisara knew it would be a bit of a stretch to convince Seto to take her to the Graduation Dance but she had to try which was why when date night came along that week, she put on her best dress and most friendly face after Mokuba invited her in to the Kaiba Mansion.

"You look really pretty today, Kisara!" Mokuba exclaimed after closing the door after her, "Do you guys have an anniversary today or something?" Kisara shook her head. The boy couldn't have known that neither Kisara nor Seto celebrated anniversaries. As a result of the media publicizing every aspect of their relationship as much as possible, both of them had agreed not to make a big deal of anniversaries. Although neither of them would admit that the underlying reason they didn't want to celebrate anniversaries was because neither of them felt comfortable celebrating their love when they hadn't fallen in love with one another. It seemed like a rather strange concept to them considering the context.

"Kisara, you're here early," Seto said with a smile as he descended down the stairway and walked over to her, "You look positively beautiful tonight, as you look every night." Kisara smiled back as Seto kissed her on the cheek and gave her a quick hug.

"I have some good news to tell you," Kisara said. She turned to Mokuba, whom was still standing in the room, wide-eyed and on the edge of his seat. "If you wouldn't mind Mokuba, I'd like to talk to your brother alone." Mokuba frowned and said nothing. He left without protest, leaving the two alone. The boy had grown to accept that Kisara and Seto did need their privacy at times. Seto turned to Kisara when Mokuba had disappeared up the stairs.

"You want me to pour you some coffee? I just brewed a fresh pot."

"Sure," Kisara replied, following Seto into the dining room. She sat at the table and tried to plot out her words for the conversation. The dance wasn't the only news she wanted to break to Seto. She also had yet to break the news of her getting into business school, though she was still waiting to tell Seto that.

Although she had gotten to know Seto very well in their four months of dating, there was still a lot she didn't know about him. One of which being how he would react to her leaving for business school in Yokohama. Although she had only saved enough to attend one semester of schooling, it would still be four months they would spend apart from one another. Kisara had decided the day she got the letter that she would wait for the perfect time to tell him—a time she hoped would come sooner rather than later, though she hadn't set a precise date.

"So what's the good news?" Seto asked, passing her a mug of coffee. Kisara took it from his hands and waited for him to sit down across from her before speaking.

"Well, for the past couple months, my family has been saving up money and they now have enough to finally fly over here to see my graduation! Isn't that great?" Seto looked more puzzled than excited by the news.

"Your family? What family?" Kisara chuckled.

"My parents, of course! As well as my grandparents. They've been missing me so much since Christmas and they can't wait to meet you. I'm sure you'll love them!" Seto took a long sip of coffee, trying to hide his obvious confusion. He was too embarrassed to admit that he had almost forgotten Kisara had parents, thinking they were dead due to Kisara living alone and being almost completely independent financially. She would mention them occasionally but mostly their conversations never led to discussing her family. Perhaps it was because of his own deceased family that the idea that she had parents he would eventually have to meet never crossed his mind.

"That's… great! It will be a pleasure to meet your parents." While there were things Kisara still had yet to learn about Seto, Seto in turn found there were still things he had to learn about himself. One of which being the fact that in the four months they had been dating, he was still surprised and shocked that he had a girlfriend. He simply wasn't accustomed to being a "taken" man… or rather, having a woman in his life that he was taken by. The idea that he had a girlfriend remained foreign and strange to him. Every time Kisara kissed him, Seto was bewildered because in the world he envisioned himself living in, he never foresaw any woman every treating him the way Kisara treated him. It was nice and yet always astonishing.

"There's also something else I wanted to run by you," Kisara added, putting on her sweetest smile as she said it, "Have you heard of the Graduation Dance?" Seto chuckled.

"Oh, yes, the senior gathering of buffoonery? I've heard of it. Why?" Kisara's smile disappeared.

"Oh, well, I was just wondering if maybe you would take me to it."

"Wait, what? You want me to take you to a dance?" Kisara looked down in the coffee she was holding, secretly wishing she could drown in it. She felt completely and utterly embarrassed.

"Well… yeah. I like to dance. It's a lot of fun," Kisara looked up once more, "I thought it would be nice if you went with me too, especially since I'll feel stupid if I go by myself."

"How do you think I'll feel?" Seto asked, agitated by what Kisara was asking of him, "You know I hate going to social events." Kisara got up from the table and walked into the living room, hiding her hurt feelings. It was then that Seto realized the damage he had done and quickly got up to right his wrong.

"Kisara, wait… I didn't mean it like that." Kisara twisted around to face him.

"Don't lie, I know you did," Kisara spat before plopping herself down on the couch and crossing her arms. Seto paused for a moment, feeling as though Kisara's disappointed eyes shot arrows through his heart. What was this strange feeling? Why did he seem to feel just as upset as Kisara looked? He was reminded of the time Kisara asked him to go to the New Year's party with her. He hadn't wanted to go but something about Kisara made him want to go just for her, only this time around he felt ten times worse saying 'no.'

Perhaps it was because it was the first time Seto was truly experiencing guilt, an emotion his late step father had spent a lot of his childhood beating out of him. Seto had never been so involved with another human being that he had ever felt this way; as if his own happiness relied on the happiness of another person. The only other time he could think he had felt that way in the past was towards his brother but this time it was different. Something about Kisara just made him want to change and to be more of a man, if only it would make her smile.

"I know you hate dances and social events but I just wish you wouldn't shoot down my request as if I was an idiot for even asking," Kisara said, avoiding Seto's gaze by staring at the floor, "And you never know, you might just like it." Seto knew for a fact that he would hate going to a dance but she was right regardless. It would be a new experience for him and she was always open to new experiences herself. After all, Seto had asked Kisara to attend the big gaming convention in Tokyo two weeks earlier and she had accepted without a second thought. The least he could do was return the favor.

"You're right," Seto said before walking over to where Kisara sat. He got down on one knee and took Kisara's hand gently into his. She looked up upon physical contact and stared him in the eyes. "I'm not usually open to doing things outside of my comfort zone, but I think you're right. It'd be good for me to do something new… at least for you." It was times like these where Seto could honestly get lost in Kisara's beautiful blue eyes. They held so much depth, so much vibrance, and so much… warmth. There was something so warm and comforting about staring into those deep blue eyes.

The comfort, the depth, the vibrance, however, only went so far. While Seto had come to learn so much about himself while being with Kisara, he in turn devoted time to understanding her. Seto had never realized how many emotions Kisara had—or that people could have in general—until he began spending time with Kisara. It was moments like these, up close and personal, where he could lose himself in the emotions of her face. She could be so open with him about her opinions or life experiences, but there was always a point in which she would cut herself off from him. It sometimes felt as though there was a whole other side of Kisara that Seto didn't know about that she wasn't willing to let him see.

Kisara leaned in and kissed Seto on the lips. Even when they kissed, he felt she was holding something back.

"Thank you, Seto. You have no idea what that means to me." Seto knew that he didn't and perhaps he never would. He refused to push too hard to see what Kisara was hiding, knowing full well that he had his own walls surrounding his inner most self.

"I can't help it. Maybe I'm just a sucker for blue eyes," Seto said, jokingly. Kisara smiled, easing Seto of the previous pain he felt when he had initially upset her.

"What a coincidence, so am I." They kissed once more and it was in that moment, Seto knew he would do anything if it meant seeing her smile again. Strange feelings arose within him, pressing his lips against hers. He couldn't quite put his finger on it but he felt like he was falling. Not the kind of falling he was typically familiar with, which was agonizing and painful, but something entirely different.

Seto was beginning to fall for Kisara… and he realized that if he did, he wouldn't be able to get back up.

* * *

**A/N:** _Yes, I know, I'm late on updating. I'm pretty disappointed myself. I was really looking forward to having this up by 12/12/12 but that didn't happen because finals happened instead. On the plus side, though, I think this turned out to be a much better chapter than it would've been had I pushed myself to finish it quickly rather than taking my time to really develop what I had. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it came out. I'm a little confused as to why Microsoft Word thinks "vibrance" isn't a word but I guess every program has its mystery. As for the next update, I'm going to try and put another one up sooner than usual. My last final is tomorrow which means I'll have an entire month of nothing to fill with something… particularly writing. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter and I plan on getting another one out to you real soon! Stay tuned._

_P.S: A big thanks goes out to my boyfriend's big sister for helping me perfect the last line of this chapter. :) Without her, it probably would've come out sounding silly._


	22. XXII

"_What's the deal with my brain?_

_Why am I so obviously insane?_

_In a perfect situation,_

_I let love down the drain."_

Perfect Situation by Weezer

**XXII**

Love. Love was a pesky word. Seto knew it and Kisara knew it. Seto had never been in love so he hardly knew what the word meant. In turn, Seto also knew Kisara had only been in love once before and she had learned it was a terrible thing. The two of them had discussed love once in the five months they had been together and they spoke of it from an objective perspective, nothing else. Love was never mentioned again after that. As time moved on, however, Seto began to feel something he had never felt before and he wasn't sure he wanted to admit what it could be. It had been a month since Kisara had asked him to take her to the Graduation Dance and his evolved feelings couldn't stay hidden any longer. Naturally, upon discovering the development of such strange feelings, he went to the one person he knew he could trust with such convoluted information.

"…I just don't understand what's happening to me, Mokuba!" Seto exclaimed after having just finished giving his explanation of how he felt towards Kisara over dinner. The two brothers were now busy clearing away the table as they discussed Seto's relationship status with Kisara. Seto stopped what he was doing and then turned to his younger brother, yearning for answers, "Why do I feel this way?" He had to know. He couldn't understand what these feelings meant.

"Because you've fallen in love?" Seto eyes widened.

"You're kidding me." Mokuba raised an eyebrow at his brother. Seto could be so… thick-headed, even for a CEO of a multi-billion dollar company. When Mokuba said nothing else, Seto added, "You really think I've fallen in love? But that's not possible… no one told me I was going to fall in love with her!" Now even Mokuba looked confused as he stared back his brother's concerned eyes.

"What did you think was going to happen? How could you not know you were going to fall in love?"

"I don't know. I never thought past actually being with someone I cared for… or finding someone I cared for. I feel so unprepared for these feelings of… of…" Seto couldn't quite find the word he was looking for. Luckily, Mokuba had a good idea as to where the conversation was going next.

"Vulnerability?" Seto snapped his fingers.

"Yes! That's it. That's the word I was looking for."

"Well, I would suggest you get used to them because now comes the hard part… telling her you love her and seeing if she loves you back." Seto nearly dropped the glass he had picked up from the table and sent it plummeting to the ground. Thankfully he had caught the glass in time before shattering on the floor. Carefully, he placed it back onto the counter before switching his attention back to his brother.

"I… can't do that," Seto said, shaking his head, "I won't do that."

"Oh Nii-sama, don't be scared of the first positive feelings you've ever felt for another person! This is a good thing and I'm sure she feels the same way." Perhaps this was the area in which the two Kaiba brothers differed the most; Mokuba and his optimism would always astonish him but could never deter him from living in reality.

"No, she doesn't. I know it." Seto's voice suddenly lowered and as his face grew dark. Mokuba stopped placing the last of the dishes into the sink and stared at him. The conversation had made a sudden 180 that Mokuba hadn't been expecting. Seto was completely quiet, staring deeply down at the floor. Mokuba walked over to his older brother and tugged on his shirt.

"Nii-sama, are you okay?"

"I am but Kisara's not," Seto responded, "She hasn't told me much about him—him being her ex-boyfriend—but from what little she has told me, he's really messed her up."

"Whoa, did she tell you what he did?" Seto shook his head.

"Not really. She's only lightly hinted at a couple things here and there. From what I can gather, he basically hurt her in such a way that has basically made her see love as pain and nothing else. I can only assume this has made her terrified of falling in love with me."

"But shouldn't that be reason enough to tell her you love her? I mean, you can tell her you love her and then keep being this awesome guy who proves to her that love isn't terrible! I mean, right? Isn't that how it works?" As logical as Mokuba's comment sounded, Seto knew it probably wouldn't work. He felt that his declaration of love would only be interpreted as a threat to Kisara; that she would think their entire relationship would turn sour as a result. She may even break up with him for it, though he couldn't be sure. She just seemed so… afraid. Afraid of not only his feelings but her own, thinking that if their relationship developed any further, it would hurt her. These were all things Kisara never said but Seto felt he was assuming correctly. Perhaps this was the very reason why Kisara was so walled off from him in many ways.

Mokuba took Seto's silence as a disagreement with his statement. "Well, even if I am wrong, what are you going to do? Are you never going to tell her?" Seto walked back over to the table and sat down, feeling defeated by his own feelings. He never thought feelings could make him feel so imprisoned.

"That's all I can hope to do, I guess." Mokuba finished clearing off the rest of the table before looking at his watch.

"Didn't you say you're supposed to be somewhere in a half hour?" Seto looked down at his own watch and jumped to his feet.

"Shoot, you're right! I'm supposed to be picking up Kisara at the restaurant downtown to go to the dance! I need to get ready." Seto dashed out of the room without saying another word, almost tripping as he ran up the stairs and stumbled into his room. How could he have forgotten that the dance was tonight? He had agreed to pick Kisara up after dinner so that she could celebrate her graduation alone with her family before going to the dance. Remembering this fact only reminded that this was going to be the first time he would be meeting Kisara's family.

Seto wanted to punch himself for being so stupid. He tossed the most dashing suit he had onto his bed and stripped down. It was the suit Mokuba typically referred to as the "James Bond" tuxedo… partly because it was the most expensive one he owned and rarely wore and partly because it did make him resemble James Bond. He debated for a moment whether or not to take a shower but determined he simply didn't have the time. He put on his clothes as quickly as he could while also trying to make sure he dressed himself properly and without wrinkling his suit. After twenty minutes, he was ready to go.

"I'm heading out, Mokuba! I won't be back until late!" Seto called out. He heard the faint sound of his brother wishing him good luck right after he closed the door and headed over to the car. Luck… that was something he was going to need in order to make up for how late he was going to be getting Kisara. He couldn't imagine how this would impact his first impression to Kisara's family either.

* * *

"I'm sure he'll be here soon," Kisara promised, worried that her parents were already silently judging him due to his lateness, especially after she had told them that he was an extremely punctual person.

"No need to worry, honey. We have all the time in the world," Kisara's mother happily replied. Although it was clear that her mother and grandfather were content with just sitting and talking with one another, the same couldn't be said for her father and grandmother who were certainly unhappy with Seto's tardiness.

"We don't, actually. Doesn't this dance start soon? The fact that this boy supposedly is the CEO of a multi-billion dollar company and is running late is a little disconcerting," Kisara's father stated, impatiently tapping his feet on the floor from under the table, "What is taking him so long?"

"Dear, you're tapping your foot again. Why don't you take a second to calm down?" Kisara's mother asked, worried that the annoyed tapping was going to draw attention from everyone else in the restaurant. Kisara's grandmother said nothing, keeping to herself and looking out of a nearby window. Kisara was about to get up and call Seto when she saw the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on walk into the restaurant, a white corsage in hand. She rose immediately from her seat.

"Seto, you're here." Upon hearing the name, the rest of her family got up as well. Seto rushed to her table and gave her a kiss on the cheek. It was then that he turned to the rest of her family, staring at him with curious eyes.

"Please excuse me and my tardiness. It's a pleasure to meet you," Seto began shaking hands with each member of Kisara's family, treating them as though they were potential business clients of his. Kisara quickly introduced each one as he went down the line.

"This is my mother, Kaori Safiya… my father, Seth Safiya… my grandfather, whom I call Jiddo… and this is Granny King." Granny King was the only person who remained seated, shakily rising to her feet only as Seto reached out to shake her hand. The minute his hand grabbed Granny King's, the energy in the room suddenly changed. Granny King's tightly gripped hand pulled Seto forward, completely throwing him off. Granny King scanned Seto's arm, looking as though she were about to dissect it with her eyes.

"You've got tiny arms and no strength. How are you supposed to protect my granddaughter from harm being so weak?" Granny King's eyes glared up at him, expecting a good answer out of Seto.

"Granny!" Kisara yelped, turning towards Jiddo for some sort of sign that she would stop her before things got any more awkward. Seto, however, wasn't threatened whatsoever. In fact, he rather liked facing someone who dared to challenge him and his abilities.

"I'm the most important man in Japan. No one would dare attack me," Seto said with absolute confidence. Granny King's eyes narrowed as he inched closer.

"Oh yeah? And what will you do if they put a gun to her head? Throw money at them?" Before Seto could respond, Jiddo stepped forward.

"Calm down, both of you. No need to start a riot the minute we land in this country." Granny King let go of Seto's hand without speaking and returned to her seat. Her gaze became entranced once more on the nearby window in the restaurant. Kisara was beyond petrified by what had just occurred.

"Alright, well, now you've met him. We've gotta go now, we're running late," Kisara exclaimed, not having the slightest clue of what time it was or when the dance was even happening. All she knew was that she wanted to try and move on from what had just happened as smoothly as possible.

"Oh no, Kisara! You don't have to leave just yet, do you? What about pictures?" Kisara grabbed Seto's hand and slowly started to tug him in the direction of the door.

"We'll get some professional pictures done when we get there. I'm pretty sure they have something like that set up. Love you guys! Bye!" Seto gave a quick wave before being pulled out of the restaurant. "Where are you parked?" Kisara asked, clearly wanting to waste no time getting to the dance. Seto pointed to the limo waiting a couple feet down the street. Kisara gasped with shock.

"You rented a limo?" Seto laughed.

"I own one. This is what people do when they go to dances, right? Rent a limo?" Kisara laughed too, despite not knowing whether it was because the statement was actually funny or because the last ten minutes of their time together had been so awkward she couldn't think of anything else to do except laugh. Soon the two of them were on their way, feeling unsure of what to say next. Kisara felt she needed to break the silence.

"I apologize about my family… well, mostly for my grandmother. Granny doesn't know any better, it's the Irish in her, I swear."

"Oh! That makes more sense. I was going to ask you about that."

"Wait, ask me about what?"

"Kaori isn't an Egyptian name, it's Japanese. And Granny doesn't sound like an Egyptian term for grandmother either, right?"

"Oh, well, yeah. That's because my grandmother is Irish and my mother is Japanese. Only Jiddo and my father are Egyptian… it's why I have an aunt who lives in Japan. You do realize that people from Egypt aren't generally as pale as I am, don't you?" Kisara laughed again, this time a genuine laugh. Seto didn't laugh… he was more amazed at the discovery of Kisara's background than anything else. How could he have not wondered why it was that Kisara was so pale? Or that she was unique probably because of her background? Then again, how could Seto know what Egyptians were like? Kisara was the first one he had met… well, except for the Ishtars.

"Oh yeah, and I almost forgot. I have your boutineer." Kisara pulled out a small boutineer from out of her purse and leaned over to pin it on Seto's jacket. Seto's body completely froze. He would've thought that after five months of dating he would be used to a woman's touch but he was still so unfamiliar. Being the cold and distant person that he was, rarely did he make physical contact with anyone outside of a handshake. The smell of Kisara's hair, however, eased his nerves. She smelled absolutely lovely.

"There you go, all done." Kisara shifted back to look at the boutineer in relation to his suit and smiled, "It looks great!"

"Oh, that reminds me. I also have your corsage." Seto pulled out the corsage. Kisara gracefully held out her hand towards Seto and let him place it on her wrist. Again, he was faced with another unfamiliar moment, holding Kisara's soft hand in his as he slipped the delicate band over her hand and onto her wrist. When he looked up, he realized it was the first time he noticed Kisara's hair was completely different than it usually was. It had been pulled and tied back into a classy bun. She had even gotten bangs that accentuated her blue eyes against her soft, white hair.

"Your hair…" Kisara sat back a little.

"Oh yeah, do you like it? My parents thought it would be a nice change… something different," Kisara paused for a moment, "Hopefully not a bad difference, right?" Seto shook his head. In fact, it was a whole new experience, being able to see Kisara's whole face only inches away from his. It sent him to a state of euphoria and bliss just being able to stare into her eyes without her long, white hair to distract him.

"Not at all. In fact, you look quite exquisite. You might possibly be the most beautiful woman I have ever seen in my entire life." Kisara blushed and looked away.

"Oh please, don't say that," Kisara turned back toward him after composing herself, "Besides, you have yet to see how everyone else is dressed at the dance tonight." She chuckled and gave him a playful poke. Seto gave a small smile.

"I don't need to see anyone else at the dance. I already know you're the most beautiful woman that will ever set foot there." Just then, the limo came to a halt. Kisara looked past Seto and noticed that they had arrived.

"Well, we're here. We better get a move on then." Kisara clicked open her door and moved over to get out, but Seto placed his hand on hers. She stopped immediately and twisted her head towards his. Within seconds, they had locked lips. Kisara was shocked but immediately gave in the warmth of Seto's mouth against hers. Rarely did Seto initiate a kiss between them but boy, did she find his assertiveness attractive.

For Seto, however, it wasn't out of assertion but rather requirement. At that one moment, he had needed to kiss her and know. All his life, he had assumed he could never fall in love or that—even if there was the possibility of him being capable of falling in love—he would avoid it like the plague. And yet here he was, kissing someone of the opposite sex, giving in the idea that he had totally and utterly fallen in love with her. It was horrifying, it was beautiful, it was exhilarating…

And Seto promised himself in that exact moment that he would never tell her, due to his own knee-jerk response of wanting to hide vulnerability and for fear that she would run away the minute he told her the truth. It was miserable, it was exciting, it was complex… and it was love. All the movies and novels now made sense: this was what it felt like to be in love.

* * *

**A/N:** _Here it is! FINALLY! I know, I know, I promised a quick update last time I updated but I didn't expect to be as busy as I became the minute the holidays ended. I've been doing a lot of work tutoring people and helping other people write papers so much so that when I came home, writing was the last thing I wanted to do. Believe me, I WANTED TO GET THIS ONE DONE SO BAD. I've been trying to write this for what seems like forever so it's AWESOME that I finally got it out onto the page. I think there was also a bit of over-ambition (I wanted to fit a lot more stuff in here than I have right now) but yeah. Here it is! Finally! Enjoy and I hope to get a new one out SUPER SOON! Seriously soon… we'll see. I start school in a week though… sadface._


	23. XXIII

"_I will not break,_

_The way you did, you fell so hard._

_I've learned the hard way,_

_To never let it get that far."_

Because of You by Kelly Clarkson

**XXIII**

With every step Kisara took, her heart was filled with more and more excitement. The Graduation Dance was being held on the top floor of the most prestigious hotel in all of Domino City. Everywhere Kisara looked, there were girls in fabulous dresses of every color, linked in the arms of handsome men wearing ties that matched the color of their dresses. Despite the fact that Kisara wasn't wearing a dress that was nearly as lavish as everyone else's, she felt quite confident to be holding the hand of the one and only Seto Kaiba. She could pretend that people were turning their heads because of her dress rather than who her date was and that was all she needed to feel like she looked just as fabulous as everyone else. Besides, she knew that in the grand scheme of things, none of that mattered. What she was looking forward to was getting on the dance floor.

Seto on the other hand was becoming increasingly uncomfortable the longer he was in the hotel, making the journey up to the top floor. There were so many people all trying to get to the same place and Seto didn't enjoy being in such close proximity with all those people. He realized early on that he didn't recognize a quarter of the people talking about him in hushed voices. Weren't these all students he had supposedly gone to school with for the past four years? As if Seto could believe that. Up until Yugi and his friends made an appearance and just so happened to get into the same elevator as Kisara and him.

"Hey Kaiba, Kisara! It's good to see you two," Yugi exclaimed. Tea immediately lunged forward and pulled Kisara into a hug, squealing all the while.

"Oh my gosh, Kisara! You look SO cute! I love your dress! You really went all out on the Overseas Fantasies theme for this year, didn't you? You look like an Egyptian princess! Oh, and I love your hair." Kisara had completely forgotten about the theme for the dance… nor did she realize her dress was specifically Egyptian. She didn't think too long on it though.

"Thank you! You look great too," Kisara was trying to think of something else to say, not knowing much about the ways of womanhood, when Seto interrupted their girl talk.

"Can you stop squealing? It feels like you're practically yelling in my ear," Seto stated, the dissatisfaction oozing from his lips. The elevator door opened before Tea could say anything else. Seto grabbed Kisara's hand and moved forward out of the elevator.

"We'll see you on the dance floor then!" Seto heard Yugi cry out amongst the crowd that was waiting for them immediately after they left the elevator. Seto had never heard such a preposterous suggestion. Seto Kaiba… on the dance floor? Yugi was out of his mind. He was only there because of some crazy desire Kisara had to go to a school dance. That is, at least, the reason he had thought they had come.

"Do you hear that? Do you hear it?" Kisara asked, bouncing up and down, "That's my favorite song and it's just starting! Let's go!" Kisara took hold of Seto's hand and dashed through the crowd that was slowly shifting its way into the dance floor. Seto uncomfortably followed as Kisara pushed past couples and groups of people right and left until the hardwood dance floor was beneath her feet. It was then that she took his hands and drew his attention back to her.

"Let's dance!" Kisara started moving back and forth, swaying the music that was blasting overhead. Seto remained completely motionless, feeling as though everyone in the room was staring at him. Kisara opened her eyes and stopped moving when she saw Seto was standing absolutely still. "What's wrong? Do you not like this song?"

"Kisara… I don't dance."

"You mean you don't know how to dance? Not a problem, neither do I! I just let the music take over…" Kisara closed her eyes and began moving all around as the music consumed her. Seto grabbed her hand and brought her back to reality.

"No, I mean, I don't dance… period. I'm a businessman, not a performer." Kisara stared at him for a moment and then turned away and began dancing again. Seto grabbed her hand once more and turned her around. "Look, I'm sorry, okay? I didn't realize you had wanted me to dance."

"Well, that's what I want to do and that's what I came here to do so if you don't plan on dancing, I'm fine by myself. You can wait over there for me." Kisara hadn't spent this much time on her hair and make-up only to stand around and look pretty. She would've come in sweatpants and sneakers if she had felt the impulse. All she wanted to do was dance and have fun! Certainly Seto wouldn't be needed for that. So she began to dance once more and ignored as Seto shifted to the edge of the dance floor, doing nothing but stand there. He wasn't sure what was more awkward, standing in front of Kisara while she danced or standing alone.

Eventually Yugi and his friends had managed to find Kisara dancing alone and decided to join her.

"Hey Kisara, nice moves!" Tristan commented.

"Thanks!" Kisara said, not even realizing she was out of breath until she spoke. Her mind and body had not been in tune the entire time she had been dancing. When her body was moving to the music, the music was the only thing that mattered. It was the only presence that made sense within her.

"Where'd your date go?" Tea asked, looking all around for Seto.

"He didn't want to dance so he's waiting over there," Kisara said, pointing over to the other side of the room. Tea and the others turned to look at him. Seto felt out of place just standing there and watching Kisara, so he decided to leave and grab something to drink. Tea, in the meantime, turned back to Kisara and laughed.

"Yep, that's Kaiba for you. Kind of a fun killer."

"Honestly, I don't mind. I don't do the bump and grind thing so I technically don't require a date for dancing," Kisara said with a grin, "As you can tell from some of my moves." Kisara wasn't lying either. She was having the time of her life, tossing and turning each and every limb to the beat of the dance floor. She hadn't felt this alive in years. It was as though she was able to turn her thoughts off for the first time and just be for a moment in time. That was until she felt the presence of another body pressed up against her backside.

Kisara immediately stopped dancing and turned around to face the man who interrupted her dancing. She recognized him immediately as one of her more vocal classmates in her government class, Toshi.

"Why did you stop dancing? We were just getting started," Toshi said, pushing his body up against Kisara's once more and beginning to dance. Kisara remained motionless before stepping forward again. It was around this time that Seto returned from his jaunt to the punch bowl and saw Toshi talking to Kisara. He became frozen in time as he focused on trying to assess the situation that was unfolding.

Toshi tried grabbing Kisara's hand and pulling her into his arms. Kisara slipped her hand out of his, "Excuse me, but I'm not dancing with you. In fact, it would be greatly appreciated if you just left." The exchange between Kisara and Toshi was starting to gain the attention of Tea and the rest of her friends as they stopped dancing to watch.

"I'm only trying to help. A pretty girl like you shouldn't have to be alone on a night like this." Toshi moved forward to make another move on her. Seto placed his cup down on the table, recognizing one too many similarities between this interaction and the one that occurred at the New Years Eve party to be able to stay put. He started moving towards Kisara to intervene right when Kisara put her hand on Toshi's chest to stop him.

"Actually, I have a date so you're assistance isn't needed." Toshi chuckled.

"Is that so? Who would that be?" Kisara pointed to Seto right as he approached Toshi and Kisara. Toshi's body slowly shrank as he saw who was standing a couple inches away from him, his fists slightly elevated in an offensive position. Toshi turned to Kisara and held out his hand. "I'm sorry to have bothered you. Have a lovely night." Kisara took his hand and shook it, then took great pleasure in watching him slink off and disappear amongst the dancing crowd.

"Well, that went better than I thought it would," Seto admitted, lowering his fists and relaxing a bit.

"Wow, Kaiba! Way to scare the crap out of Toshi!" Joey said, holding up his hand for a high five. Seto only glared at Joey and did nothing else. After a couple seconds, Joey got the picture and the rest of them returned to dancing. Seto looked to Kisara for clarification.

"Are you alright? He didn't touch you, did he?" Kisara shook her hand.

"Don't worry, I stopped him before he got too close," Kisara put her hands on Seto's chest and smiled at him, "You were great, by the way. I love the way your glare strikes fear into others so effortlessly."

"It comes from years of practice, trust me," Seto joked, "You're really okay though, right? I should've been here to protect you. Can I get you anything?"

"Just this." Kisara wrapped her arms around Seto and planted a big kiss on his lips. Kisara and Seto kissing always led to strange and extraordinary realizations, it seemed. For Seto, it brought forth so many feelings and thoughts he never thought he would have. He began to greatly regret his stubbornness in not wanting to share a dance with Kisara despite his disgust in the practice of dancing. Not only that, but he was overwhelmed with the chemistry the two of them shared. In those moments, he could honestly not deny his true feelings for her. Seto wanted to tell her that he loved her.

For Kisara, time would stand still, and she recognized her feelings for what they really were. It wasn't just that she loved Seto for his glare, but so many other attributes he had. She loved how caring and considerate he was, despite how much he tried to hide it. She loved the way his arms tightened around her when they shared intimate moments like this. Above all else, Kisara loved the fact that despite how logical a person he was, it was truly his heart that guided his decisions each and every day. Seto was a passionate person, in both his personal and his professional life. As cold as he made himself out to be, it was his emotional perseverance that got him the title he held.

In a perfect world, their kiss would've never ended. He would've stayed by her side and danced for the remainder of the night. In a perfect world, she would've never let him go. She would've never gone home that night. Nonetheless, she didn't live in a perfect world so there she was, at three in the morning, saying goodbye to her date after a full night of dancing solo. The hours in between left her dress with sweat from dancing but also filled her soul with glee.

"Good night, Seto. Thanks for taking me," Kisara gave Seto's hand a squeeze and then opened the door to the stairway of her apartment, "Drive safe."

"I will. Good night to you as well, Kisara." As Kisara disappeared into her apartment and made the long journey up the stairs to her home, she couldn't ignore the strong feelings that were building inside of her. They had risen up before, it wasn't as though they weren't present before that point, but she had been good about ignoring them up until the dance. Now she was faced with genuinely affectionate feelings for the man who had treated her with nothing but kindness and yet her chest tightened at the thought of accepting them as fact. She didn't want to believe she could ever feel this way again about a man. These feelings threatened the life she had built for herself and the decisions that led her to runaway to Japan. Still… how could she ignore them?

It didn't matter, she decided, turned the lock to enter her apartment. She was tired, confused, and couldn't wait to jump right into bed…

"You were out awfully late." Kisara's sense heightened at the sound of another presence outside of herself. There was only one light turned on in the whole apartment, and it was the one in the kitchen. It was there that she saw Granny King standing over the stove, a cup of tea in hand. There was a light whistle that the kettle produced, meaning the water had just finished boiling. Kisara took a sigh of relief upon seeing her grandmother instead of… well, a number of other people she imagined waiting to kill her.

"Granny, you nearly scared me half to death. What are you doing up?" Kisara whispered, walking over to Granny King whom was huddled by the heated kettle on the stove.

"I'm a restless sleeper, you know that," Granny King got out a second mug from the cupboard above the stove, "Want some tea, love?" Kisara's initial thought was to refuse due to her exhaustion from the dance but she also knew that sharing a cup of tea with Granny King was one of the better times to talk to her and Kisara knew she had a pressing issue she wanted to discuss.

"Sure." Kisara walked over to the tiny table just a few feet outside of her kitchen. Her apartment wasn't very big, meaning that everything was close together and that there was very little space between the division of one room to another. She waited patiently for Granny King to fix her a cup of tea before sitting down across from her. The moment she sat down, Kisara jumped right in to what she wanted to talk about.

"So Granny, tell me honestly, what do you think of Seto? You're the wisest woman I know and you're rarely wrong about people and their true intentions." Granny King took a long sip of her tea before answering.

"Well, you've certainly come a long way from the last boy you dated." Kisara looked down at her tea, "Tell me the truth, dear… was the lad back home the real reason you moved away?"

"Well, yes… but I swear it wasn't the only one. I really do want to make it big here in Japan… although going out with Seto certainly wasn't part of the plan," Kisara sighed before she continued, "Now you have to tell me the truth, Granny. Do you think Seto is bad news for me?" Granny King leaned back in her chair and took another long sip of tea. She shifted her eyes and stared out the window. There wasn't much to see save for the bright lights of the city that just barely carved out the edges of buildings and streets. She then placed her teacup down, ready to give Kisara an answer.

"Darling, did I ever tell you the story of how I met your grandfather?" That hadn't been the answer Kisara was expecting, but she also shook her head. "Well, when I was around your age, I ran away from home too. The moment I turned eighteen, I traveled all over the world, starting a new life in every country I stayed in. My family didn't know where I was or where I was going for the majority of the next two years—I traveled too fast for them to find me which was exactly what I wanted.

"And then when I was twenty, I found myself in Egypt of all places, where I met your grandfather. I had barely dated at all during that time. I had too many dreams to count when I was that age so falling in love wasn't part of the equation. I had a new dream every day but the day I met your grandfather, I just knew. I not only knew I wanted to marry him but I knew whatever my new dream was, it included him. A year later we married and a year after that I was pregnant with your father." Kisara sat silently. The story of Granny King and Jiddo was cute but it didn't give her the answer she was looking for… or any answer at all.

"Love, I'm telling you this because not everything in life can be planned," Granny took hold of Kisara's hand from across the table and gave it a small squeeze, "I used to be just like you. I had ambitions, dreams, and plans to follow all of them. I never dated because that wasn't part of the plan. Meeting your grandfather wasn't part of the plan either, and yet here we are, and here you are many years later."

"I'm still not sure I understand." Granny King leaned forward and looked deeply into Kisara's eyes.

"What I'm saying is, you've got a lot of plans for a young girl your age. It's the King in you. You want to know where you're going and waste no time getting there," Granny King replied, "I guess what I'm trying to say is to follow your dreams, no matter what, but also be open to the idea that your dreams could change. As for Seto… I see a lot of promise in him. He's got a drive that's similar to your own but I want you to be weary of it. His dreams may take him to one place and you another, and I want you to always know the difference between the two.

"With your grandfather, I just knew. I knew what I wanted and I stayed in Egypt because of it. I didn't have as many choices as you, however. I didn't have an education, supporting parents, or a place to go. All I had was myself. I don't regret marrying your grandfather but I do wish I had been able to get an education. And it's okay to ultimately choose love for yourself but only after you've done all that you came here to do which was to get an education, go to business school, and become a CEO." Granny King's words made sense to her and she understood what they meant.

No matter what happened next, Kisara would follow those dreams and seize the opportunities given to her. She would be with Seto but drop him the minute the relationship interfered with her own aspirations for herself. Granny King was right; she was ambitious. Kisara knew she would rather die than give up her dreams just to be with someone. It was then that she made a promise to herself that she was sure to never forget: that the moment she fell in love with Seto, she would leave him because the last thing she needed was love and the last thing she wanted was to give up her dreams because of love.

* * *

**A/N:** _Yep, I'm back with a vengeance! I bet you didn't see me updating any time soon. Well, guess what? I did! And it was… weird. I started school, got depressed (because I started school, wahhh), and then found all the inspiration I needed to write instead of doing homework. Man, isn't that how it always goes? When you have all the time in the world, you never feel like writing but the minute you have twenty things all due at once, you have all the greatest ideas. I'm glad I did end up keeping me word of producing a relatively quick update, though. Not sure if the quality was downgraded because of it but I was determined to move forward with this story because next chapter marks the fun part! The last couple chapters have kind of been a drag for me, not gonna lie. I'm WAY more excited about what's going to happen next chapter, which means you should be excited too! Anyhow, thanks for your continued support and I plan on putting up the next update on Valentine's Day in celebration of this story's two year anniversary! Check back in around then and thanks for reading!_

_P.S: This chapter was slightly rushed and I only proofread it 1.5 times so if you see any mistakes, do tell me! I may need to go back and edit some stuff but I wanted to get this out as soon as possible so that's what happened instead of intense editing. _


	24. XXIV

"_Sweet Disposition,_

_Never too soon._

_Oh reckless abandon,_

_Like no one's watching you."_

Sweet Disposition by Temper Trap

**XXIV**

"I look ridiculous," Mokuba grumbled to himself, pulling at his bowtie to loosen it.

"Would you quit it? For the fifth time, you look fine. Now would you please focus?" Seto snapped, not even turning toward Mokuba to scold him. In the six months she and Seto had been going out, Kisara had never heard Seto be so cross with Mokuba. She looked to see if Mokuba was fine and he patted her reassuringly on the hand.

"Don't worry about it, Kisara. Nii-sama is always cranky before the Tokyo Game Show." Just then, the limo came to a stop and the loud clatter of reporters and newscasters became present. Seto uncrossed his legs and turned to Kisara and Mokuba.

"Remember, I want you both to stick by me the entire time unless I say otherwise. Got it?"

"Why? Isn't this place going to be packed with security guards? I can't imagine anyone other than game developers will be able to get into the convention center," Kisara said, sure that this was just another instance where Seto was being more paranoid than he needed to be. Kisara had begun to notice that Seto seemed cautious and suspicious with every person he met. She couldn't understand why.

"Yes, but half the game developers at this convention are enemies of Nii-sama," Mokuba replied.

"Wait, what?"

"We have to go, come on," Seto commanded, opening the door. Once the door had been opened and the three had exited the car, the cameras had started clicking away from every angle. The scene was similar to that of a red carpet ceremony in Hollywood, only she couldn't imagine why this many people would be interested in the gaming industry. Perhaps it was just a Japan thing.

Seto took hold of Kisara and Mokuba's hand and walked past every reporter and cameraman that approached them. He wasn't interested in anything they had to say. Despite Domino City treating him like a celebrity, Seto never acted like one. His hands never let go of Kisara or Mokuba until they had entered the convention center. Although there was still a hustle and bustle going on everywhere, it was a little more relaxing with fewer reporters nearby.

"So what happens now? The show doesn't start for a while, right?" Kisara asked, wanting there to be some sort of conversation going on. The intensity and anxiety shrouding Seto was disconcerting for her to be around. Mokuba, on the other hand, seemed completely used to it. He was more concerned with how uncomfortable he felt in a bowtie rather than how his brother was feeling. He kept pulling at it, trying to loosen it without his brother noticing.

"We should probably go check on our booth and make sure everything's in order. It should already be set up and ready to go but it would be good to check," Mokuba mentioned. Seto nodded in agreement and the three of them headed towards the booth. That was until they heard a familiar voice call out to them.

"Oh Kaiba-boy, there you are!" Pegasus said, walking over to them with a grin on his face, "You're early as usual. I was wondering when I'd run into you." Seto rolled his eyes. Pegasus looked past him to Kisara and Mokuba, "And you brought your cheerleading squad, how sweet. How are you, Kisara? Mokuba? My, how the boy has grown since the last time I saw him." Mokuba inched away from Pegasus and Kisara put her hand on his shoulder. Since she had last met with Pegasus, she had been informed of the Duelist Kingdom incident which was why she refused to answer his question.

"Look Pegasus, we don't have time for useless small talk. We have a show to put on so if you'll excuse us…" Seto tried to walk past Pegasus but he wouldn't let Seto through.

"Just one moment, Kaiba. May I have a word with you?" Seto narrowed his eyes.

"If you're trying to find out what developments we'll be showcasing today, I can guarantee it's better than anything you have to show for," Seto grinned, "I can't give you any hints, of course. You'll just have to wait and see like everyone else." Seto was downplaying his feelings towards Pegasus. In actuality, Seto had become incredibly suspicious of Pegasus's recent 'buddy-buddy' attitude towards him but he refused to acknowledge how he was truly feeling. It was better to keep his caution a secret so until then, the two would banter as they always had. When he tried to walk past Pegasus a second time, Pegasus still refused.

"Those developments you're going to be presenting are precisely what I wanted to discuss with you." Seto rolled his eyes. Pegasus was clearly not going to let this one go. He turned back to Kisara.

"Will you watch Mokuba for me? I'll just be a moment." Kisara nodded. Pegasus led him a couple feet away to a less populated part of the convention center so that their conversation would be slightly more private.

"I wouldn't be so overt about your developments unless you investigated that spy problem within your company." Seto laughed.

"Oh, that's right. There's some spy selling my blueprints. What company did you say he work for again?"

"I don't know. Whoever it was didn't tell me. I wouldn't take this so lightly, though. I'm trying to help you." Seto laughed again, louder than last. Pegasus looked away, trying to keep himself composed. It was becoming increasingly difficult for the creator of Duel Monsters to remember why he was trying to so hard to help Seto.

"That's hilarious, Pegasus, because I can't believe you keep forgetting that we're not friends. So why bother helping me? Since when did you start to care about my company? You tried to steal it only a few years back," Seto paused, "Do you remember that?" Pegasus's attention was provoked once more, despite his better judgment. Maybe, just maybe, Seto would take him seriously if he told him the truth.

"Kaiba, what I did to you and your brother was wrong. I know that and I've lived with it for years now. It got to the point where I couldn't sleep at night, knowing the conscious decisions I made and how it harmed you. It caused me to seek help and when I did, I realized that the only way I would be able to move past what I had done was to make amends with you." To Seto, this was unheard of. Out of all the conversations he had ever held with one of his past enemies, not once had any of them asked for forgiveness. Seto had been wronged by the majority of the people he met over the course of his life thus forcing him to believe he could trust no one and that people, at their core, were evil. Therefore, he didn't know how to respond to Pegasus's plea for forgiveness… except to leave.

"I'll see you when the show starts, Pegasus. Until then, leave me alone," Seto stated, finally leaving from Pegasus's presence without difficulty. He returned to where Mokuba stood, alone, with his bowtie in his hand rather than around his neck. This was a cause of concern for Seto on many levels.

"Where's Kisara?" Mokuba quickly put his hands behind his back, concealing the bowtie.

"I dunno. I think she said she wanted to look around."

"And you let her go by herself?"

"Hey, you told her to watch me, not the other way around. Besides, I told her not to run off. I knew you'd be more upset if we both disappeared than if only one of us disappeared." Seto grumbled in frustration. There was so much left to do and the start of the show was fast approaching. He knew that his booth and presentation needed to be top priority before he left to try and find Kisara. He grabbed Mokuba's hand and proceeded to move through the crowd of guests and game developers. "Hey, wait! Where are we going?"

"She'll be fine until the show starts. I want to make sure everything is in order at the booth before I go looking for her. We don't have much time left," Seto swiftly replied, "And you better put that bowtie back on before I do it for you."

* * *

Kisara had completely forgotten about her previous worries when she saw all of the colorful posters, banners, and game consoles set up. She was hardly familiar with half of the companies that were there, barely realizing how large the gaming industry was, but the energy of the room was just so exciting. She went from booth to booth, playing demos, picking up flyers, and chatting with developers. She felt completely consumed by her intrigue and curiosity, causing her to forget that she had wandered off in the first place and why she was even there. Seto had walked her into the convention center so fast she had barely noticed all that there was to see. There were booths set up along the four walls of the convention center, with a giant stage in the middle where the biggest companies would be presenting their latest gaming developments and what they planned to release.

It wasn't until someone tapped her on the shoulder that she remembered why she was there.

"Good afternoon. Are you enjoying yourself?" Kisara turned around and was brought back to reality upon seeing Pegasus's face. Her expression of joy immediately went sour.

"Oh, it's you."

Pegasus held out his hand to her as he did earlier while he introduced himself, "Yes, I'm Pegasus, Maximillion Pegasus. I'm sure Kaiba-boy has told you all about me." Kisara crossed her arms and took a few steps back.

"I can only assume you know who I am, then?"

"But of course! You are the elegant Miss Safiya the press has fallen madly in love with… as well as Kaiba." Upon hearing the word 'love,' Kisara immediately stood up straight, feeling a great anxiety rise up within her. She tried to ignore it as best she could, remembering that she was still in the presence of Seto's adversary. Instead, she played off her anxiety as being coy.

"Oh please, the press is only obsessed with the drama of it all and I'm sure you wouldn't know a thing about Seto's personal life. That being said, I do know he doesn't want me talking to you. He told me what you did. He told me about Duelist Kingdom."

"I can't believe Kaiba is still upset about that. It happened years ago, not to mention that I was in a difficult place in my life at the time. He knows that," Pegasus sighed, "Kaiba can be so petty at times."

"You talk about Seto as if you're friends."

"Well, Kaiba's been in the business for a long time. I've known him for years. We used to be partners back when holographic dueling technology didn't exist. Sure, a lot has happened since then but I like to think that we could have a relationship outside of that," Pegasus stated, "Many of the people you see here today have known Kaiba for years. Working in this field for so long causes you to develop a sort of kinship with other developers. Kaiba may not admit it but it's true." Kisara uncrossed her arms and stared at him. While this was the first conversation she had ever had with Pegasus, she had to admit that he didn't seem like the monster Seto described him to be. In fact, he seemed just as human and sincere as everyone else. Could it be that this was another instance in which Seto believed the rest of the world was out to get him? Kisara couldn't understand why Seto felt the need to be so guarded all the time.

"I'm not surprised that you didn't know that about me," Pegasus added after a long silence, "I'm sure there's a lot you don't know about Kaiba either. Talking to some of the other game developers could help with that. Take him for example." Pegasus pointed to a man whom was standing five booths down. He was wearing a purple suit and had long, pink hair. Kisara had noticed earlier how oddly dressed everyone in the convention center was, but that man took the cake.

"Who's that?"

"That's Zigfried von Schroeder. He's the president of Schroeder Corp. and he's known Kaiba since he was a child because their fathers were competitors. They may be arch rivals but the Schroeders and the Kaibas do hold a certain amount of respect towards each other. You should talk to him. You might learn something." As strange as it might've seemed, Pegasus was right. Kisara barely knew anything about Seto and while she might've seen Pegasus as a threat twenty minutes earlier, she felt his advice held truth. Seto may have thought the world was out to get him but Kisara felt there was little evidence behind that sentiment.

"I think you're right and maybe I will go talk to him. Thanks for the advice," Kisara replied, shaking Pegasus's hand. Kisara started towards the Schroeder Corp. booth but stopped when she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned around once more.

"If you want Kaiba to be open with you, you need to be honest with him. I know there's a lot you wish to hide but neither of you will ever truly connect with each other unless one of you takes the first step. Kaiba doesn't know how to, but I know you do," Pegasus said, "I can tell by the way you look at him. I know the truth." Kisara chose to walk away instead of responding. She didn't want to think about opening up to Seto. She didn't want to think about the truth. Kisara had been avoiding her true feelings for two weeks now and she felt she could continue to do so for the rest of her life. She had made a promise to herself that she intended to keep.

"Well, well, well… if it isn't Kisara Safiya." Zigfried greeted Kisara with a kiss on the hand. As creepy as it seemed, Kisara kept Pegasus's advice in mind, ignoring the urge to turn the other way and run.

"Yes, that's me. And you're Zigfried von Schroeder, right?" Kisara moved past Zigfried to explore his booth.

"Indeed I am. Do you see anything you like?" Kisara picked up a gadget that looked incredibly similar to that of a Kaiba Corp. duel disk.

"No, but most of the items you have here look a lot like what Kaiba Corp. produces."

"Well, that's because he and I produce the same gaming equipment. We are competitors after all, we went into the gaming industry at the exact same time, both making the decision to change the type of companies our fathers had created." Kisara put the duel disk replica down and turned to face Zigfried.

"Kisara, there you are," Seto appeared out of nowhere and grabbed Kisara's hand, "I've been looking all over for you. The show's about to start so we have to move." Seto took one look at Zigfried and kept a firm hand around Kisara's.

"Oh Kaiba, you came just in time. Kisara and I were discussing our fathers and their previous business." Seto glared at him. As much as he loved gloating in Zigfried's presence about the success of his company over his, there simply wasn't any time. The show was going to start in a few minutes.

"That's great, Zigfried. Did you also talk about how your father died knowing his son was a failure too?" Zigfried's face darkened.

"I would watch your tone, Kaiba. You'll embarrass yourself before the show even starts."

"Until you have something worthwhile to present, I would worry about your own embarrassment," Seto started pulling Kisara away, "Let's go."

"Enjoy the show!" Zigfried called after him. There wasn't any time to think of a sarcastic response. He was more concerned with the presentation and where Kisara had been for the last twenty minutes.

"What were you thinking disappearing like that? Didn't I tell you how dangerous these people are?" Kisara rolled her eyes.

"Has it ever occurred to you that maybe the rest of the world isn't out to get you?" The lights in the convention center suddenly dimmed, signifying that the show was about to start. Seto had stopped moving to take a look at who would be the first to present.

"We'll have to talk about it later. The show is starting." A spotlight overhead flicked on and to Seto's surprise, Zigfried was the one who appeared in the middle of the stage. A projector had also turned on, the Schroeder Corp. logo illuminating the room from behind where Zigfried was standing on stage.

"My name is Zigfried von Schroeder and I'm glad to be here with you today, starting the Tokyo Game Show with something we at Schroeder Corp. have been working very hard on for the last nine months." Seto was intrigued as to how Schroeder Corp. had convinced the board to present first. Only the most interesting and advanced developments were presented first, which was why Zigfried had never gone earlier than Kaiba Corp. It didn't make any sense. They couldn't have something that was better than what Kaiba Corp. planned to showcase that day.

Kisara, on the other hand, wasn't concerned with what was happening on stage at all. She thought about Pegasus's advice as she watched Seto, standing there, completely fixated on the show. For some reason, in that moment, she felt she couldn't hide her feelings any longer. She had to tell him the truth about how she felt. Perhaps Pegasus was right and that being honest would open a gate within Seto to bring his guard down. She squeezed his hand, causing Seto to turn his head.

"Seto, there's something I have to tell you…" Seto's eyes wandered back to stage.

"Are you sure it can't wait? I need to see what Zigfried is up to…" Kisara knew she couldn't wait. She had to do it now or she would forever try to run from her feelings. She shook her head.

"I can't. It's something I've been meaning to tell you for a while now and it can't wait." There was an urgency in Kisara's voice that coaxed Seto to focus his attention on Kisara, although his eyes still tried to drift back toward the stage.

"Well, what is it? Tell me," Seto snapped, desperately wanting Kisara to tell him whatever it was she wanted to tell him so he could focus on the stage. Kisara bit her lip. She could feel her heart begin to race, her knees begin to knock… she hadn't told anyone what she was about to tell Seto.

"Seto, I'm… I'm…" Kisara knew what she needed to say, but no words were coming out. Just then, Seto's full attention was taken away once again.

"…I now present to you the latest advancement in holographic dueling technology—the Duel Gazer!" The Schroeder Corp. logo disappeared from the projector screen and was switch with an object that resembled a monocle. Zigfried himself pulled one out and slipped it over his eye. "Ladies and gentlemen, if you're familiar with Kaiba Corporation's duel disk technology, I promise you, Schroeder Corporation's Duel Gazers will give you even greater satisfaction. With the flick of the button, no longer do you see the monsters you battle, but you're transported to another world. You become completely immersed in the game with these portable virtual world technology that brings the game of Duel Monsters to life, greater than ever before!"

Seto's eyes widened. Duel Gazers? Holograms combined with virtual world technology? That was the exact same product Seto planned to present later that day. How could this have happened? Zigfried couldn't have come up with it all on his own… And it was in that moment, that Seto knew what was going on. Everything came together all at once. Seto's hand immediately dropped Kisara's as he stared at her.

"It was you…" Kisara was not sure what Seto was referring to. Before she could ask him what he meant, Mokuba appeared and ran over to Seto.

"Nii-sama, we have to shut down the presentation. Zigfried, I don't know how he did it, but—"

"I know how he did it. Pegasus was right, there was a spy and it was you all along, wasn't it?" Seto said, raising his voice with each word he spoke. It all made sense to him now. Moving here from Egypt out of the blue, wanting to work for him, talking to Zigfried earlier at the booth, causing him to fall in love… it all added up. Seto took several steps back, not sure what to do with all of the emotions within him that were on the verge of bursting.

"Hold on now, do you even know what you're saying?" Kisara asked, feeling completely blindsided by everything Seto was saying.

"No, I don't want to hold on. I'm done and we're through."

Mokuba gasped and twisted his head from Seto to Kisara. He would admit he wasn't completely sure what was going on, but he knew that Seto's anger was going to become a problem soon. He could tell it was becoming uncontrollable. Mokuba ran over to his brother. Kisara was having a hard time finding the right words to say, she could barely assess what Seto was accusing her of.

"Nii-sama, you need to calm down…" People began to pay less attention to Zigfried and more attention to the dispute going on between Seto and Kisara. Mokuba could tell that it was only a matter of seconds before things got out of hand.

"I'm not going to calm down. I knew she was bad news all along. Now somebody call security before I throw her out of here myself." Kisara stepped forward, deciding to take a more assertive approach.

"Before you start talking about me in the third person, tell me: Are you seriously breaking up with me because you think I'm a spy? What proof do you have?" Kisara demanded, more angry than upset that Seto was not only breaking up with her, but in front of a huge crowd that was now only fixated on what was happening between her and Seto.

"Oh please Kisara, it all adds up, right up to the moment I first saw you. I don't need proof, you know it yourself what you are. Weren't you just about to tell me something? Something you felt you should've told me a long time ago? Well, I'm all ears now. Why don't you spit it out before you get thrown out?" The realization of what she had wanted to tell him brought her back to her place of nervousness and worry she had previously been in before everything blew up. Before she knew it, tears were streaming down her face. She looked down to conceal them from all the attendees watching her. "Spit it out, Kisara."

"Nii-sama, stop it," Mokuba said, yanking on Seto's sleeve. He was too angry to know how cruel he was being. Mokuba couldn't understand how Seto could be so malicious to the woman he, moments ago, felt he was in love with. There were several moments of silence… the only sounds that could be heard were Kisara's hushed crying into her hands.

"No, I'm not going to spit it out," Kisara rebuked, dropping her hands from her face to take off her entry pass from around her neck. She wiped away the tears from her cheeks before throwing the badge right it in Seto's face, "It doesn't matter now. Apparently I'm a spy and I hope you're happy living with that." Just then the security guards came, armed and ready to escort Kisara from out of the building. Kisara pushed past them without even acknowledging their presence.

"Close down the booth. We're leaving," Seto instructed, walking in the other direction back to his booth. He didn't regret what he said to Kisara. He did, however, feel as though he had been punched in the chest at least twenty times. It took him several hours to realize the pain he was feeling wasn't physical, it was emotional and it was worse than any other pain he had ever felt before. He realized that while he had fallen in love with Kisara, she had just broken his heart for the first time.

* * *

**A/N:** _OH MY GOSH, THAT TOOK ME FOREVER TO WRITE! So hi everybody! You're probably wondering why this didn't get posted on Valentine's Day like I promised everyone it would. Well, the thing is… life happened. RIGHT after I posted the last chapter, I got another job (as a writer! Which is really cool)… meaning I now have four jobs. As you can imagine, the last five weeks since school started have been utter chaos trying to manage all four jobs, being a full-time student, and having a life. It was absolute insanity, I still haven't figured out how to manage it all but when Valentine's Day rolled around, I just couldn't finish it in time, especially since I had such a busy Valentine's Day (it was also my 50 month anniversary with my boyfriend. :3) ANYHOW, besides personal life stuff, this chapter is ridiculously long. The reason for that is I didn't realize how much I had planned for this chapter and I didn't want to cut it up in to two chapters. I'm sure none of you mind. Where does this leave the story, then? Well, I think I'll need to return to updating once every month again so check back for the update between the 13-15 of March. Sorry again for being late but yeah, my life and this chapter ended up being way harder than I had planned! I may even decide to go back and re-write parts of it because so much happens and I'm not sure it all occurs in the right way. Nevertheless, this story is nowhere near over! There's still lots left to explore. Hope you all enjoyed the chapter and thanks for reading. :D_


	25. XXV

"_Once upon a time I was falling in love but now I'm only falling apart._

_There's nothing I can do… a total eclipse of the heart._

_Once upon a time there was a light in my life, but now there's only love in the dark._

_Nothing I can say… a total eclipse of the heart."_

Total Eclipse of the Heart by Bonnie Tyler

**XXV**

Pain. Pain was a word Seto was familiar with ever since his parents died when he was a child. Pain had become his default emotion for more than half his life until he learned how to ignore and move past it. He thought that was how healing worked: forgetting pain existed by moving forward in life. That wasn't the case and many times the pain would return to haunt him in his sleep. Perhaps in Seto's conscious and daily life, pain wasn't present but when the sun set and night was upon him, he could never sleep. After living with so much pain for so long, Seto had not only become accustomed to getting no sleep but also believed he could handle any kind of pain for the rest of his life.

The pain he felt from breaking up with Kisara though… it was a whole different kind, like none he had ever felt before. It was unbearable the way his heart would ache every time he went to work and saw an empty desk in the corner of his office where Kisara would typically be. It was unbelievable the loneliness he felt when his phone never rang at night, a time he usually spent having a phone conversation with Kisara until she would fall asleep. She always had this adorable determination every night to try and stay awake long enough to talk to Seto through-out the whole night but it never worked. It was unexpected the emptiness he felt no longer having a date night to look forward to at the end of the week.

Everything about the break-up was hurting Seto in ways he thought he could never be hurt and it left him emotionally devastated. After a while, it became apparent that some action needed to be taken and Mokuba, after watching his brother mope for weeks, took it upon himself to get that process rolling.

"Hi Nii-sama," Mokuba said, walking into Seto's home office to see his brother exactly where he thought he would be: slouched over his desk, his head buried in his arms. Seto didn't move to look or even greet Mokuba as he walked in. It was odd for Mokuba to see his brother this way because he couldn't remember the last time Seto was distraught over anything. While most aspects of Seto's life remained unaffected by the break-up, it was his clothing that suffered. He wasn't a complete mess—Seto wasn't one to show up anywhere looking completely disheveled—but he didn't look his best. His ties wouldn't be tied in tip top condition and his hair would only be somewhat combed to perfection. Even Seto's shoe laces were starting to suffer… neither bow on his laces had been evenly tied. On the outside, Seto looked normal, but to Mokuba… he knew his brother better and by Seto's standards, he looked like a mess.

"What's up?" Seto mumbled some sort of incoherent response. Mokuba walked over to his brother's side and pulled Seto's upper body up from the desk. "Nii-sama, I don't want to sound mean, but you really have to pull yourself together. You're starting to worry me." While things remained business-as-usual at the office, it seemed Seto felt nothing about letting Kisara go to the other employees. At home, however, it was obvious to Mokuba that his brother was upset.

Seto leaned back in his chair, letting his arms drop in his lap and not caring to even sit up straight while he was speaking, "You're just now starting to worry about me?" Seto replied sarcastically, "Kisara's not the only one who's gone… so is my company's reputation." The break-up wasn't the only woe weighing on Seto's soul as of late: the press had gone crazy after Kaiba Corp. was forced to pull its presentation out of the Tokyo Game Show line-up because of Schroeder Corp.'s success. Kaiba Corp. was experiencing bad publicity for the first time in several years and it wasn't exactly helping Seto's mood.

"Let's forget about the Tokyo Game Show for a second and talk about what's really bothering you…" Mokuba hopped up on Seto's bed across from his brother's desk and sat himself down, "If you're really that upset about breaking up with Kisara, why don't you call her? It's been a month since you guys broke up and it's obvious you still want to be with her." Seto sat up straight, anger suddenly brought life back to his body.

"Why would I ever want to talk to her again? After what she did to me and my company? I would rather lose a duel to Yugi on national television than try contacting Kisara again," Seto crossed his arms and turned away in his chair, "No way. It's over between us."

"It might be over but you clearly care about her. I mean, you were in love with her after all…" Mokuba took a deep breath before continuing, "And don't you think there's a possibility you may have jumped to conclusions without knowing the full story of what was going on with Kisara and Schroeder Corp.?" Seto twisted around and shot Mokuba one of his coldest glares.

"I can't believe you would say something like that. Isn't it obvious that she did it?"

"Obvious how? Obvious because you clearly jumped to conclusions in order to save yourself from being vulnerable with another human being?" Seto got up from his chair and walked over to his younger brother, towering over the boy half his size, looking down.

"Don't you dare play psychologist on me, Mokuba. This was my company, OUR company, that she ruined. Stop trying to turn this on me when Kisara is in the wrong. Got it?" Mokuba respectfully stepped back and then threw a portfolio onto Seto's desk.

"I'm not playing psychologist, I'm just your brother and I love you," Mokuba stated firmly, "Which also means I love you enough to take matters into my own hands sometimes when I want to prove a point. According to this evidence, Kisara wasn't the one who sold those blueprints. It was that Katsu guy you tried to fire nine months ago."

"You did what?" Seto snatched up the portfolio immediately and began sifting through the papers, scanning each one to make sense of the evidence that was in front of him. What the portfolio contained was a variety of records, transactions, and files that all pertained to Mr. Katsu, who appeared to not even be recognized by that name at all in most of the evidence he looked through, "Did you find out this all on your own?"

"Oh, of course not. I hired a private investigator after the Tokyo Game Show to find out more information. I knew Kisara wasn't behind what happened and it turns out "Mr. Katsu," or rather, Albert Bruder, had a history working for Schroeder Corp. previous to his employment at our company that managed to slip under our radar. He was working for Zigfried the entire time." Seto rose from his chair but Mokuba stepped in front of him before he could leave the room.

"Calm down, Nii-sama. He's already been fired and is now under investigation by the police. Not only was selling our blueprints illegal but turns out he isn't supposed to be living here either. So everything's fine in that department, you don't need to storm out of here and beat someone up." Seto's hands refused to unclench from the fists they had become. He was seething with so much rage he could barely see straight.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?!" Seto yelled, "After everything he's done, everything he caused me to do…" Mokuba then realized this wasn't just about the blueprints. Seto was upset about something even more important than a man who was selling his own inventions to other companies for profits. It was then that Mokuba realized just how hard Seto had fallen for Kisara. Mokuba walked over to his older brother, putting his hand on his arm.

"Now that you know she didn't do it, will you please just call her? I know you want to." The tension in Seto's body relaxed a bit as he let his shoulders slump and his hands became free of the fists they had once been. He was no longer angry… instead, he was overcome with regret.

"How can I call her after everything that's happened? She probably hates me for what I did."

"Probably, but that's why you have to fix everything by calling her and apologizing," Mokuba suggested, guiding Seto away from the doorway and over to the side of the bed where they both sat, side by side. Mokuba sat and turned his body completely towards Seto, placing a cell phone in his brother's hand. "If you tell her the truth, it'll probably go easier for you."

Seto shook his head, "No, it won't." He looked up from the floor to have his eyes meet with his brother's, "Because the real truth is that… I knew Kisara wasn't the spy. I never questioned it. Granted, I wouldn't have guessed who it actually was, but I knew for certain it wasn't her."

"Yeah… that truth probably won't help you but that begs the question of why you would even do something like that in the first place! I mean, you loved her, didn't you? Why would you break up with her?" That question was one that had echoed in Seto's thoughts all too frequently over the past few weeks.

"I don't know… maybe, maybe it was the way she made me feel. Being in love with her was the most wonderful feeling I have ever felt. I finally understood how a person can appear and suddenly, you realize that every day of your life was spent waiting for them to show up," Seto explained, "It was the most beautiful experience I have ever had…"

Seto could tell without even looking that Mokuba didn't understand. Seto felt he didn't understand it himself, for being with Kisara had brought him such effortless joy he had never experienced before. "I guess, that was why I felt the need to find a reason—any reason—to break up with her. I had never felt that good before for such a long period of time that I… I was afraid. I was afraid of her waking up one day and deciding she didn't want to be with me anymore and I was afraid of the pain it would bring me. I thought that if I broke up with her first, perhaps I could save myself the heartache because…"

His eyes widened with realization. "It was because I was in love with her—and knowing I was in love with her—that terrified me. And with the history she has for falling in love, I couldn't risk being in love with someone who could never love me back," Seto's voice changed to a tone of desperation, "I don't even know if I can be loved, Mokuba, or if someone ever will love me. My whole life has been about being strong and separating from the rest of the world so I can survive… no one ever told me I could be loved so I grew up believing I couldn't be." Seto broke out of the trance he had fallen into when he felt a small hand grasp his. Seto looked down and saw Mokuba staring back up at him, looking as though he was on the brink of tears.

"Nii-sama, I love you and I'm not the only person who does. I know Kisara loves you too, even if she hasn't realized it yet," Mokuba gave Seto's hand a reassuring squeeze, "You have to call her. You have to fight for what makes you happy. You have to let her love you." Seto felt his brother's hand move from his, and looked down to see that it had been replaced with his own cell phone. He stared at it for a long moment.

Suddenly, Seto's eyes gleamed with a new found determination, as he turned his phone on.

"You're right. I can't keep running away from happiness as if I'm not supposed to be happy. Kisara is all I've ever wanted."

"That's right," Mokuba affirmed, "And last I checked, Seto Kaiba always got what he wanted!" Seto smiled. He got down on one knee before bringing Mokuba in for a tight hug.

"Thank you, Mokuba. You always know the right things to say. I'm sorry I was a little hot-tempered earlier," Seto held his brother and closed his eyes. Mokuba was the only family Seto had to his name, and he was so happy to have someone he could talk to about all of this. His younger brother was the only person he could even envision himself talking to about these issues he had. Despite Mokuba's long-standing belief in him needing to go to therapy, Seto felt it was unnecessary. After all, why would he need anyone else when he had a brother who already knew him so well? "I love you, Mokuba." The hug carried on for a few moments more until Mokuba detached and broke away from Seto.

"As much as I love hugging you, there's a girlfriend you need to call and win back. Do what you have to do and apologize, okay?" Mokuba advised, giving him a pat on the shoulder. Seto smiled and nodded his head.

"That's exactly what I plan to do."

"Good. I'll give you some privacy then," Mokuba said as he turned to leave the room, "Let me know how it goes." When Seto heard the door close after Mokuba, he looked down at the phone in his hand. He knew the number he had to dial but even recalling the digits made his heart race. There was no turning back now. As much as his fear gnawed at his soul and told him to run from the one relationship that made him happy, he knew he had to ignore it. He knew that, despite the years of torture and pain he had endured previously, he deserved to be loved by another human being. His heart may have felt emptiness for the majority of his life, but he wasn't going to run from the one person who made him feel like it was possible to be whole again.

Without another conflicting thought, he quickly dialed the number and held his breath as he listened to the phone ring. With each and every ring, his heart began to sink. He imagined Kisara seeing his number on her phone and ignoring it. He imagined the way his heart would break in two the moment her phone went to voicemail with the intention of never listening to what he had to say. He imagined every terrible break-up scenario that ever existed as the phone continued to ring… until he heard her voice.

"Hello?" Seto almost didn't know what to say. It was her… it was Kisara. She had picked up the phone! "Who is this?" Kisara asked, she sounded as though she was in a rush to go somewhere. It was probably the reason why she didn't know who was on the phone, she didn't have time to look at the caller ID. Seto felt this probably worked to his benefit, freeing him of all the romance movie dilemmas he surely would've had to have faced had she known it was him calling. All he needed was one conversation with her to right what he had done.

"It's me—"

Seto held his breath, he felt as if his whole body was frozen in suspense, he was so completely immersed in the silence that he felt as if his heart had stopped beating.

After an eternity, he spoke.

"Kisara?" His stomach churning, Seto pulled the phone away from his face and looked at its screen.

"Call to KISARA ended. Call duration 0:03 seconds."

* * *

**A/N:** _HI EVERYBODY! Kari's here, up way past her bed time doing her best to get this chapter out to you as soon as possible! Sorry it didn't come sooner. I was having a lot of trouble writing this chapter. It was a very powerful and emotional chapter and I knew there was only one right way of doing it so I didn't want to rush any part of writing it. I actually spent the majority of the last six hours working on this so hopefully you all enjoyed it! I also have another exciting announcement: I finally have a beta reader! It's Kura, my epically awesome friend who just came to visit me over spring break last week, who's been spending the last three hours helping me with this work. I've gone to her a lot in the past for help (I'm sure I've accredited her before in previous chapters) but we decided to make this Fanfiction official so you heard it first! Kari and Kura are a dynamic fanfiction duo once more! ;) I'm pretty excited for this experience because this'll only help this story soar higher than it already is (she is largely responsible for why this chapter is so awesome) so give it up for her! Thanks for reading. I hope to be posting the next chapter a little under a month from now but we'll see. For now, stay classy, ! _


	26. XXVI

"_Oh baby, your time is running out,_

_I won't let you turn around_

_And tell me now, I'm much too proud_

_All you do is fill me up with doubt."_

Bulletproof by LA Roux

**XXVI**

It would've been easy if there was a book that described how relationships were supposed to work. Or rather, how they were supposed to end. Everything would've been easier if Kisara had a chance to process everything that happened within the month since her split with Seto. Unfortunately, between trying to find a job before summer was over and the pain she felt from having her heart broken, there wasn't any time to understand what happened. Most days, she spent her time drifting from one task to another, keeping her mind occupied so that she couldn't feel the pain that was weighing on her heart. She did anything and everything she could to keep herself from wandering back to the bottomless ache that seemed to infuse every silence and bring attention to the hole within her heart. At times when she could no longer stand the emptiness, she found herself calling her best friend.

"Hi Kisara," Cleopatra said within seconds of Kisara dialing her number.

"Cleo? How did you know it was me? I don't even think the phone rang once…"

"You usually call me around this time. Haven't you noticed?" Kisara wrapped one arm around her knees as she sat down on the floor, staring out the window at the sky above. The other arm was locked in place as it kept her hand holding the phone firmly against her ear. Kisara took a deep breath.

"I haven't noticed much of anything since Seto and I…" Kisara stopped herself mid-sentence. She didn't want to make the phone conversation about her again. Lately, Seto Kaiba was the only thing she ever talked about with Cleopatra. It was the only thing on her mind outside of trying to find a job… and failing miserably.

"Look, it's okay. I know you're upset and I'm your best friend. I want you to talk to me when you're upset." Kisara felt a single, solitary tear escape her eye, but quickly wiped it away, as if she were afraid someone was watching. No one was watching, though… she was alone in her apartment in the middle of the day. Her home seemed emptier than ever when she was on the phone with her best friend whom was miles away.

"I just wish I could get over him already, Cleo. I'm so tired of being sad all the time. I want to go back to the way things were… before I met Seto and after I had finally gotten over you know who." Kisara could hear Cleopatra chuckling on the other side of the phone. No matter how serious the issue was, Cleopatra always tried keeping conversations on the lighter side. She knew Kisara better than anyone which meant that she knew Kisara had the ability to worry herself into a coma and take things more seriously than they had to be. This was Cleopatra's way of helping… and at times, it wasn't always helpful.

"How do you know you were really over you know who?" Cleopatra joked, "Maybe Seto was just distracting you from the fact that you were never over him. I mean, the fact that you still call him 'you know who' makes me think you still have some major feelings for him." Kisara fell completely silent. Suddenly the stray tear that had fallen earlier was no longer alone, as Kisara's eyes began to flood with tears like fallen stars from the sky. Just the mere suggestion that she wasn't over the very man who made her afraid to ever love another human being was more hurtful than Cleopatra could ever understand. Kisara's body wracked with yet another sob, as she covered her mouth to stifle the noise. Between her complicated feelings for Seto and the lack of closure she had from her last relationship, Kisara simply couldn't handle it. She couldn't handle living in Japan on her own anymore, she couldn't bear the idea that she had run away from Egypt in the first place to escape from him, and she felt like she couldn't handle on this pain by herself. Kisara moved the phone away from her face as the sobs became stronger. Her body shook from the sheer anguish she felt from feeling so alone and having no one to hold her and tell her everything would be alright.

"…Kisara? Are you still there?" Cleopatra asked after several moments of silence, "Honey, are you okay?" Kisara tried to get a hold of herself. She placed the phone on the ground so that she could wipe away her tears, blow her nose, and give Cleopatra a confident answer. The last thing she wanted was for her best friend to know how much she had fallen apart. She knew telling Cleopatra this would basically mean telling her parents and telling her parents meant they would want her to come back home. Just as Kisara went to grab the phone, she heard a knock on the door.

"Hold on Cleo, I think someone's at the door. I'll be right back," Kisara said into the phone, successful covering up the crippling sorrow she felt moments earlier with curiosity. Kisara kept the phone in hand as she walked gingerly over to the door, cracking it open to see who was visiting her at noon on a weekday. In a single moment, her emotions snapped from overwhelming sorrow to utter bewilderment. The two of them stood there for a moment in complete silence, looking at one another, trying to make sense of the other's reaction. It was as though all the noise in the room stopped—even Kisara's thoughts had gone blank. There was no spoken word that could be heard save for Cleopatra's voice speaking from the small flip phone.

"Kisara? Kisara, are you okay? Who is it?" Cleopatra's voice snapped Kisara's mind and body out of shock all at once. Her overwhelming sorrow was now replaced with an uncontrollable rage by the person standing before her. She had never felt so much rage in her entire life, and she was worried she might do something drastic if she let herself say exactly what was on her mind. Instead, all she said were two words.

"Seto Kaiba," Kisara hissed, a sense of utter loathing permeating every syllable, "I'll call you back." With that, Kisara closed her phone, her eyes never leaving Seto's. Her hand clenched the flip phone as if it were the ledge of a cliff that kept her from plunging to her death—she was worried the slightest loosen of her grip would cause the phone to go flying into Seto's face and she wasn't prepared to go to court for assault. Seto took a step forward.

"Kisara… I need to talk you—"

"And I need you to get the hell out of my apartment building before I call the cops." Kisara grabbed the door and attempted to slam it shut in Seto's face. Seto quickly wedged his foot in front of him to stop the door from closing. This only made Kisara angrier, causing her to start slamming the door over and over onto his foot, hoping eventually it would break. Her worries about not assaulting Seto went completely out the window.

"Please, just let me explain myself! And stop slamming the door on me!" Seto placed his hands on the door to keep it open. Kisara took a step back and held up her phone.

"I'm telling you right now, if you don't leave, I'm going to call the cops and have you arrested. This is breaking and entering. I may not be from Japan, but I know my rights!" Kisara screamed, knowing that the louder she screamed, the more attention she would bring to the other neighbors. "I mean it!" Kisara flipped open her cell phone to begin dialing when another figure appeared from behind Seto.

"Wait, don't do it! Don't arrest my brother! He forgot to bring you these!" Mokuba pleaded, holding up a huge bouquet of roses over his head for Kisara to see. Kisara shut her phone, staring at Mokuba for a moment before turning to glare at Seto. Seto held up his hands defensively in front of him, worried that Kisara still might chuck the cell phone at him.

"You dragged your little brother into this?" The contempt in her voice was audible.

"I didn't drag him anywhere, he insisted on coming because he cares about you. We both do." Kisara's eyes narrowed as she switched from glaring at Seto to staring at Mokuba, then vice versa. Kisara was trying to make sense of how she wanted to react to Seto now knowing that his younger brother was present to make Seto seem endearing. Fortunately, the phone rang once more, giving her a moment to think. Mokuba rushed over and held up the flowers for Kisara to take.

"Please don't have my brother arrested. He's the only family I have." Kisara reluctantly grabbed the flowers from Mokuba, knowing full well that the only reason she was accepting them was because Seto's irresistibly adorable brother was handing them to her. She looked down at the phone to see it was Cleopatra calling her back. Kisara looked back up.

"I have to take this. You two, wait outside."

"Will you not let us back in if we leave?" Mokuba asked, his eyes wide with wonder and hope that Kisara would give Seto a chance to talk. She gritted her teeth, wanting desperately to lie and say no without having any intention of opening the door again, but she simply couldn't resist Mokuba's face. Despite how much she hated Seto for what he had done, she didn't hate Mokuba and couldn't say 'no' to him.

"Yes, I'll let you two back in. I just need to answer this phone call and I'd like some privacy while I do it." Seto and Mokuba nodded their heads with understanding and obediently stepped out as Kisara answered the phone.

"Kisara, are you okay? You didn't call me back and I was so worried some crazy person had showed up at your house to murder you!" Cleopatra frantically said the moment Kisara picked up the phone.

"Yes, I'm fine. Believe me, I would've been happier greeting a crazy murderer than the person standing outside of my apartment right now." Kisara stood by the door and peaked through the peep hole, watching Seto and Mokuba anxiously wait outside.

"Why? Who's at your apartment right now?"

"Seto Kaiba," Kisara was annoyed just saying his name. She almost wished she hadn't promised Mokuba she would let them back in. Seto was the last person she wanted to see or talk to ever again. Hadn't he taken the hint when she hadn't picked up the twenty-five missed calls from him? Or better yet, when she didn't reply to the thirty-two text messages he sent?

"Uw, sounds like someone has decided to come back around to apologize. I was wondering when that was going to happen. I can't believe it took him an entire month to realize he messed up the greatest thing he ever had!"

"Yeah, maybe, but what do I do? I may still have… you know, feelings for him or whatever, but it's not like I wanna take him back either. He really hurt me," Kisara paused, not wanting to become overly emotional again over the phone, especially not with Seto lurking outside, waiting to talk to her, "What makes him think he can waltz back into my life and just take me back after what he did?"

"You're absolutely right, he can't just waltz back into your life after not talking to you for a month and think it's okay…" Cleopatra stated, "That's why I propose you put him through the ultimate test."

"Oh yeah, and what's that?"

"Make him do a boyfriend interview. I read about it in a magazine somewhere," Cleopatra explained, "This one girl wrote an article about how her boyfriend abruptly dumped her for no good reason and then six months later randomly showed up, asking her back. Before she took him back, though, she set up this interview—much like one you would go through if you were applying for a job—only it was as if he were applying to be her boyfriend. It was positively brilliant! I think you should do that before you consider wasting anymore of your breath on him." Kisara was little hesitant to say 'yes' to something that sounded so strange. She could see why it would be an appealing story but she felt weird about asking Seto to do it.

"I don't know, won't Seto think it's weird?"

"Who cares what he thinks? He dumped you! Now he's come crawling back, thinking you'll take him back, and because of what? Because he's the CEO of a company you wanted to work at? Screw that! Put him through a boyfriend interview. Make him sweat!"

"I don't know. How do I explain to him that's what I want to do?"

"You don't. You should have him show up and think he's about to take you out on a date when really, you're about to conduct an interview. It'll catch him off-guard, but it'll mean his answers will be authentic because it'll be on the spot." While the original concept of the boyfriend interview seemed downright absurd, she liked the idea of getting straight answers from Seto. He was a celebrity after all—he could put on a face and give a good answer to anyone with enough time to think of it. If this was a way to get him to speak truthfully to her from the heart, a place Seto was rarely in tune with, perhaps the boyfriend interview would be a good place to start.

"Thanks Cleo. You know, I think I will do that. I'll call you back later this week and let you know how it goes."

"Yes! Definitely let me know how it goes and make sure to ask him the hardest questions in the world. Make him squirm." Kisara laughed.

"You got it, talk to you later. Love you!"

"Love you too!" Kisara closed the phone with a newfound confidence about the situation as she went over to open the door. This was no longer about being angry but rather discovering the real reasoning behind what would make Seto accuse Kisara for something she didn't do and dump her as a result. Sure, putting him on the spot with a surprise interview wouldn't be as immediately gratifying as launching her cell phone into his face and breaking his nose, but it would create context for his actions and that was all Kisara really wanted. She wasn't even sure she wanted to get back together with him… she just wanted answers.

"Can we come in now?" Seto asked, after Kisara opened the door.

"Nope."

"Hey, you promised!" Mokuba shouted in an accusatory fashion.

"Look, you two showed up completely unannounced and that was rude. I'll still hear you out, Seto, but I'll hear you out tomorrow. I want you to be here at noon, dressed in your very best and have an even bigger bouquet of flowers for me. If you do that, THEN we'll talk," Kisara stated, then turning towards Mokuba she added, "Oh, and I only want Seto to come, okay Mokuba?" Mokuba crossed his arms.

"No fair! I wanted to see you guys make up."

"Sorry buddy, but this is between your brother and I. You know that," Kisara said, giving Mokuba a reassuring smile, "It was still nice to see you, though." Kisara shot a glare at Seto. "Your brother, not you."

"I figured as much," Seto said with a sigh, "Either way, I'll be here tomorrow at noon and I appreciate you giving me a chance to explain myself." Kisara nodded.

"I'll see you then." Kisara quickly shut the door and waited to hear Seto and Mokuba walk away before finally being able to relax. Despite all the rage and apprehension towards Seto, deep down, although she wouldn't admit it out load… she was incredibly happy to have seen him. He was terrible to have dumped her, but seeing him reminded her of the intense, underlying chemistry between the two. She had, after all, missed him in their time apart. There was no denying that she still had very strong feelings towards him.

Nevertheless, she wasn't going to let her heart be played with again. Even though she still cared for him, she cared enough about herself to not want to be put through the trials of another break-up, if he were to randomly call her a criminal again and drop her like a rock. She shook her head from those thoughts… she needed to spend her time plotting out her questions for tomorrow. Tomorrow was when all her questions would be answered.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hey everybody! Kari and Kura here, presenting you with the latest installment of "For Love's Sake." Kura is the one you should be thanking for this slightly early update as she was available to help me write this all weekend and get this to be what you're reading right now (the first stab at this was a total mess, but I figured it out, thankfully!). School has been insane but next month around this time it should be coming to an end. Not sure when my finals are yet but hopefully it won't interfere too much with my update schedule, as most of you know, I try to update once a month. In addition to that, I hope you enjoyed the chapter! Kura and I worked really hard on it, drew large portions of it from our own personal experience, and created it with love in response to all of your reviews and support. Thanks again for reading, commenting, and just being an awesome crowd of people. See you all in a month!—Kura and Kari_


	27. XXVII

"_So I would choose to be with you,_

_That's if the choice were mine to make._

_But you can make decisions too,_

_And you can have this heart to break."_

And So It Goes by Billy Joel

**XXVII**

His hand hovered in front of the door, waiting to knock. His eyes were fixated on the phone he was holding in his other hand, watching the time closely. Even though Seto had been standing outside of Kisara's apartment for almost five minutes, he didn't have the courage to knock. For one thing, it wasn't quite noon yet, and for another… he was petrified. He had been happy that Kisara was going to give him a second chance—his life had been miserable for the last month without her—but he didn't know what he could do or say to get her to forgive him. What he had done, after all, was unforgivable… he knew that, he understood that. Still… what could he have done? He had been afraid of his feelings towards her… much like he was standing in front of her apartment, waiting to knock and be let in.

Just as his phone changed to 11:59am, Seto considered leaving right then and there. The same fears he felt at the Tokyo Game Show were returning to him… he couldn't do this. He couldn't be in love with Kisara and be open with her about it. He was too guarded; he had been scorned too many times before in his life. Just as he was about to leave, however, he remembered her smile. The way her eyes lit up whenever she saw him, the softness of her hand when it linked with his, and the tingling on his lips after every kiss they shared. That was what kept him planted in that spot, and invoked him to knock on the door the moment the clock showed noon.

Kisara opened the door to find Seto, dressed to the nines in a full tuxedo and tie, with the largest bouquet of flowers she had ever seen. Seto saw the way her eyes shined, just like they used to every time she saw him. However, her face remained unemotional and the light quickly disappeared. She didn't look the least bit happy to see him. In response, Seto held out the flowers to her and moved in for some sort of gesture of affection.

Kisara stepped back instantly.

"There's a chair in the living room set up. You can sit there while I put these in a vase," Kisara said in a business-like tone. Seto opened his mouth, intending to apologize for what he had done, but decided against it. He would do as Kisara instructed instead.

Seto walked into Kisara's living room to find that the furniture had been switched around. Her cushion chair had been moved to the other side of the room where her small coffee table had been placed in front of it. On the opposite side of the coffee table was the small wooden chair, typically seen at her desk that doubled as a table for when she ate. He was trying to make sense of the change in scenery when Kisara came up from behind him and pointed at the wooden chair.

"You can sit right there," Kisara stated, walking past Seto and sitting down on the cushion chair opposite from him. Seto, once again, did as he was told and sat down. "I didn't have a desk to sit at, but I figured this would do just as well." Kisara pointed to the coffee table, asking Seto to pretend it was a desk. At that point, he was completely lost.

"I'm not sure what's going on but, like I said the other day, I appreciate you giving me a chance—"

"If you're ready to begin, then I will start with the questions. If you have questions of your own, you can ask them at the end," Kisara said, cutting Seto off. She crossed her legs and flipped open a notepad in her left hand.

"Okay then. I'm ready to begin with… whatever this is."

"Good," Kisara replied curtly, looking down at her notepad and reading the page below, "My first question is: Why are you here?"

"I'm here because I wanted to explain myself… explain my actions, that is. Everything that happened a month ago. You see, Kisara, I—"

"And why do you feel the need to explain yourself? I mean, why are you _really _here, Mr. Kaiba?" Seto still wasn't completely sure of what Kisara was doing but decided to answer her question anyway.

"I'm here because I'm sorry for what I did and my hope is that, despite the terrible thing I've done, that you'll consider taking me back." Seto watched with curiosity as Kisara began to take notes. He couldn't help but wonder what it was she was putting down on paper.

"Well, alright then. I've got a couple questions regarding that as well." Kisara's eyes returned to the previous page to read the questions she had written down. "So why are you interested in the position of being my boyfriend?" Her eyes moved back up from the paper to match Seto's gaze. Seto sat up straight in his seat before he answered, crossing his legs and putting on his own professional poker face. If Kisara wanted to pretend this was a business, Seto was going to be hired in no time. Business was the language Seto had been raised to speak.

"I'm interested in the position of being your boyfriend because I'm the best. Not to mention, I care about you very much. You're one of the few people I'm very fond of," Seto stated, now feeling sure of himself. Kisara, however, showed no reaction to Seto's statement. Instead, her eyes moved back down to her notepad to read off the next question.

"I see. And what are your qualifications?"

"Well, my qualifications are that I run a multi-billion dollar company and can provide you with anything and everything you could ever possibly want." Kisara's eyes narrowed.

"Mr. Kaiba, I think you and I both know that money and power is hardly a concern I have for your qualifications to be my boyfriend. Please answer the question seriously this time." Seto was confused for a moment by what she said but quickly realized what she meant. He had to pause and think before answering.

"My qualifications are that I'm determined; when I want something, I go for it. I'm self-sufficient; I've been raising myself and my little brother since I was five years old. I'm kind… well, when I want to be or when Mokuba's around. I try to be an open-minded person and understanding when I'm with someone I care about deeply." Kisara's lips twitched as they formed an unconscious smile, before quickly vanishing behind the mask of her business demeanor as she turned her head back down to read the next question. She was determined to have him answer all of the questions before she showed any sign of accepting him back into her life.

"What would you say are your three biggest weaknesses, as a boyfriend?"

"My three biggest weaknesses are…" Seto sighed before he continued, "That I'm not always the most honest person in the world; I admit, it's hard for me to trust someone enough to confide everything in them. I'm not always in tune with my emotions, which makes it hard for me to be in tune with other people's… I know I sometimes pretend emotions don't exist just so I don't have to deal with them, which is wrong. I also have a tendency to overreact to things and make drastic, stupid decisions because of it." Kisara could see how sorry Seto was, especially with the last statement he made, but she quickly looked back down at her notepad to distract herself from showing it.

"What about your strengths?"

"My three biggest strengths are that, deep down in my core, I am a good person. I only feel that way because I raised a great kid like Mokuba who tells me every day. I do believe I have the ability to open myself to another person, even if it's the hardest thing I've ever done. If it turns out I don't have the ability, I do have the desire to have the ability at least. I would also put someone I cared about before myself in whatever situation that presented itself…" Seto felt the need to pause, before breaking his business-like tone and speaking to Kisara directly, "I really do want what's best for you, Kisara, even if that means that by the end of this you decide not to give me another chance."

That time around, Kisara's eyes didn't need to glance at notepad to ask the next question. Her eyes never broke contact with his as she asked, "And how was the past month?"

"Terrible. I've never been more miserable in my entire life, and I grew up with Gozaburo for a step father. It made me realize how much I care about you, and how much I missed seeing you every day. My life was empty without you."

Slowly, the emotions began to return to Kisara's face as she stared deeply into Seto's eyes. Her professional exterior began to melt as her mind was reminded of feelings from the initial break-up. She remembered the way she cried herself to sleep for almost a week. She remembered the self-loathing she felt for letting someone get close enough to hurt her. She remembered wondering if she could ever truly open herself up to another human being, let alone the man who had made her regret ever wanting to be vulnerable with another person again… a mistake she had made with the last man she had fallen in love with.

Kisara couldn't let the emotions take over, however. There was still one more question she needed to ask and she knew it was the most important question of all. "Why did you break up with me?"

Seto's eyes broke away from Kisara's before speaking.

"I was under a lot of pressure that day. We had to set up the booth, deal with reporters, then you went missing and then the next thing I know, I find you with Zigfried, who's been my arch rival since I was a child. Then when Schroeder Corp. stole my idea and was presenting, everything just hit me all at once… I had been betrayed, lied to, and stolen from… and you were trying to tell me something, so I guess I just snapped. I don't know what I was thinking or if I was thinking at all. I just reacted."

There was a long pause that followed. Seto looked desperately into Kisara's eyes, not sure of whether she would buy his story or not. There was an essence of truth within his story… he did have an instance of thought that she could be the one who had stolen his blueprints. At the same time, he had never doubted her, and the small essence that existed had disappeared instantly.

Kisara, on the other hand, could tell Seto was only spewing out lies. Did he really think, after six months of dating, that she couldn't tell when he was lying or when he wasn't? The fact that he was desperately looking at her was an obvious indication for one thing… but another was that he talked in such a way that Seto himself didn't even seem convinced. Kisara knew there was an entirely different reason why Seto had broken up with her, but the point of this exercise to begin with was to get him to say it—to be open with her about his true feelings. Kisara didn't write the next question she asked… she knew it had to be asked from the very moment he walked in.

"Are you in love with me?" Seto's face darkened and he fell silent. The one question he never thought he would have to answer, the answer he had questioned every since he first realized how he truly felt. Now was the moment of truth… could he accept his feelings and make them real by saying them out loud? Could he really be that vulnerable with another human being? Kisara needed an answer… or at least, she was looking at him like she needed one. Seto looked down.

"I… don't know."

"Do you really want to be with me?" Seto looked up with surprise. That was it? Kisara moved on to the next question that fast? Somehow he had thought 'I don't know' wouldn't have been a suitable answer.

"Yes," Seto stated with certainty. Kisara shrugged and closed her notepad. She set it onto the floor and uncrossed her legs as she looked at him.

"Well, that's the end of the interview. Do you have any questions you'd like to ask me?" Seto wasn't sure whether this was a trick question or not. Seto looked around the room, trying to think of something to ask. Was he supposed to ask the one question on his mind? Was he allowed to ask if they were getting back together? As he searched the room for answers, he noticed something he hadn't the first time he had walked into Kisara's apartment. All of her belongings were in boxes. It looked as though she had just moved in.

"I do have a question, actually," Seto asked, looking around, "Why are there all of these boxes? Are they re-doing your floors in your apartment?" Another thought came to his mind and fear struck him, "Are they kicking you out because you weren't able to pay rent?" No wonder Kisara hated him. Breaking up had forced her to quit and therefore be unable to pay her rent. Seto's heart was wrecked with guilt. "Look, I'll pay whatever you need so you can stay."

"No, it's not that. It's…" Kisara wasn't sure how to answer Seto's question in a way that wouldn't hurt him, but she also knew that wasn't possible, "Remember how I wanted to tell you something at the Tokyo Game Show? I was going to tell you that I got accepted to a business school. I'm moving to Hiroshima tomorrow and I'll be living there for the next four months."

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi everybody! Kari here with another long-awaited update! I say "long awaited" simply because I actually received a PM from one of my readers asking when I was going to update and hoping it was soon, hahaha. I'm always so delighted and encouraged by all of your positive responses and feedback! It seems like all of you are enjoying reading this just as much as I am writing this which is always a nice thought. Now that summer has begun and I have the summer off until the Fall, I would love to update more than once a month but no promises (only hopes). Also, there should be a one-shot coming your way within the next month or two too, so keep your eyes peeled on my page for that! _

_On another note, my beta reader, Kura, just graduated from college so you all should leave her a nice little note of congratulations along with your reviews if you think of it. :) She is pretty much the best beta reader EVER and one of my best friends, so I am incredibly happy for her and all of her successes. :D I can't wait to see where life takes her next. 3 Until next time, thanks for reading!_


	28. XXVIII

"_I say hey, I'll be gone today,_

_But I'll be back all around the way._

_It seems like everywhere I go,_

_The more I see, the less I know._

_But I know… one thing… that I love you (baby girl),_

_I love you, I love you, I love you."_

Say Hey (I Love You) by Michael Franti & Spearhead

**XXVIII**

It had been 1,209,600 seconds since the "Boyfriend Interview," 20,160 minutes since Kisara had informed Seto that she was moving to Hiroshima to attend business school, and 336 hours since the two of them had spoken. No matter what way he counted the past two weeks, to Seto, it seemed like an eternity since they had agreed that it was better to break up. Or rather, not get back together. Had they even reconciled what was once broken before Kisara left? Seto was still so perplexed by the interview, wondering why it had even taken place if this was the inevitable result. Had Kisara even intended on getting back together with him? Was the interview some sort of test of his love for her? Had he failed? All of these questions were swirling around in his head like a whirlpool, dragging him deeper into the depths of his own misery.

It wasn't that Kisara and Seto hadn't talked things over. After Kisara told Seto about the move, they talked for hours about what that meant for their relationship, despite Seto not knowing whether they had one to begin with. Regardless of the mystery surrounding their relationship status, Seto suggested that it would be best if they put things on hold while Kisara went to school. Neither of them were fans of long-distance relationships. Instead, they would remain 'friends,' which left Seto exactly where he was a month ago… pining after a woman that he denied being in love with.

Sighing, Seto typed away on his computer, watching the words appear on the document he was working on and not caring what they said or meant. It was Friday afternoon and the weekend was about to begin, a time that he never looked forward to. It was easier to forget about Kisara when he was at work… but only slightly. Seto could no longer look at the corner of his office where Kisara used to work without feeling a twinge in his chest. Not having her around just made everything—his office, his work, his performance—so purposeless. Work had become a chore to him. He spent a great deal of his day trying to make his work matter to him but his mind refused to stop wandering back to Kisara.

Without consciously thinking, he typed in a simple search on the internet and pulled up an article that had been posted on New Year's Day… the one concerning Seto and Kisara's relationship, and of course, the cell phone documentation of their first kiss. Seto sighed, enlarging the low resolution photo, and losing himself in the image of their romance. It was weird to think that, all those months back, he had gone to that party not feeling anything but dread for the people he was going to have to put up with. Yet, all these months later, Kisara was the only person he remembered being there.

Seto heard a knock on his door and closed his laptop. "Come in," he said, before asking, "How was school today?" He assuming the footsteps he heard entering his sanctuary belonged to Mokuba. But when he turned his chair around, and saw the figure silhouetted in his doorway, Seto jumped to his feet. "Who the hell let you in?!"

"Calm down, Kaiba-boy," Pegasus replied, shutting the door behind him, "I had to sneak my way in. Your secretary has been turning me away at the door the last couple times I've come to visit."

"Leave my office now," Seto said, his eyes suddenly filled with rage as he picked up the phone to dial security.

Pegasus held up his hands in defense.

"Kaiba-boy, please. Just give me a chance to explain myself." Seto didn't move the phone away from his face.

"I don't need to give you that privilege. I know why you're here," Seto gritted his teeth, "You've come to mock me about what happened at the Tokyo Game Show, haven't you? Either that, or gloat about how right you were about that spy within my company. By the way, thanks for letting me know who the traitor was."

"It's not like that, Kaiba. I didn't know who it was or who he was working for," Pegasus said, "Though I did try to warn you." Seto sighed and let his body slump back into his chair. Pegasus slowly moved towards the seat positioned in front of Seto's desk.

"What are you doing, Pegasus?" Seto asked, softening the tension in the room as he closed his eyes and rubbed his temples.

"May I have a seat?"

"…Whatever." Pegasus sat and waited a few moments for Seto to speak. Seto lifted his head, "Tell me why you're here. And don't give me any crap about how you were just 'passing by the neighborhood and decided to pay me a visit.' Skip the bullshit and explain yourself."

"First of all, I'm sorry about what happened at the Tokyo Game Show…"

"I told you to skip the bullshit."

"…And I'm sorry about what happened with Kisara." Seto pointed towards the door.

"Get out of my office."

"Just hear me out."

"No. I'm not talking about what happened at the Tokyo Game Show, let alone my romantic life. Not with you, not now, not ever," Seto stated, on the verge of throwing the phone in his hand right into Pegasus's face. What made Pegasus believe they were friends? Or better yet, that Seto would ever talk to him about his relationship troubles? He lifted the phone in his hand, but instead of throwing it in Pegasus's face, he began dialing.

"You know what?" Seto hissed, his voice rising with every word he spoke, "I'm not going to waste anymore time. I'm just going to have you thrown out. Alright? Have a nice flight back to America and this time, stay there." Pegasus rose from his seat.

"If you don't wish to listen to me, that's fine, but I came all this way so I'm going to say what I came here to say: Don't give up on Kisara. Don't give up on the woman you love because you're too proud to admit that you experienced a moment of weakness." Seto stopped dialing.

"How does protecting my company and my reputation make me weak?"

"Kaiba, I was there. I saw what happened at the convention, I heard what you said to Kisara. You and I both knew she wasn't the spy. In the grand scheme of things, you could care less about who stole what from your company. You didn't fire Kisara to protect your company or your reputation, you broke up with her to protect something far more valuable."

"And what would that be?"

"Yourself." Seto, as furious as he was with Pegasus having wasted so much of his time already, couldn't help but laugh.

"Oh, great. So while you were creating duel monsters, did you also get a degree in psychology? Is there some sort of fan club I don't know about that meets once a week to psychoanalyze me?" Seto had already received this speech from Mokuba, but from Pegasus too? It was getting ridiculous. Seto got up again and pointed Pegasus towards the door. "You don't know me, Pegasus. Now why don't you wait outside? Security should be here any minute now."

Pegasus's expression changed. His pretentious exterior began to melt away as he spoke. It was as if, for the first time in the several years Seto and him had been doing business together, he was talking to him like a person instead of his competitor. "You and I have been in this business for a long time now, Kaiba. I've seen you become the business man you are today. I've seen you change both this company and yourself." Pegasus sighed, "I didn't mean to cause you any trouble when I came here, I just wanted you to know that when you have something worthwhile, you have to fight to keep it. No matter what it takes and no matter what stupid decisions led to losing that person in the first place." Seto's eyes narrowed.

"You told me I couldn't protect her," Seto said just as he sensed the security guards lining up outside of his office, waiting for his signal to take Pegasus away.

"I couldn't protect Cecelia either but that didn't stop me from trying to save her… or continuing to love her every day that passed since her death."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because you still have a chance to be with the person you love. You still have a chance to be happy. And you can't let anything, not fear or pride, get in the way of that." Pegasus paused, "You may always see me as a monster, Seto Kaiba, but I have loved and lost just as you have. Despite our differences, I will always regard you as a friend, even if you never see me the same way." It was then that the first of several security guards entered Seto's office.

"I'm sorry for letting myself in, Master Kaiba, but do you still want us to throw this man out of your office?" Seto's eyes shifted from the security guards to Pegasus. Pegasus didn't wait to hear Seto's orders, he walked out the moment security had come in. Seto dismissed the security guards from his office.

Seto sat back down at his desk, regressing back to his earlier state: alone with a heart that was aching for a woman that was once his. He re-opened his laptop to find the same article, the same picture, and the same emotions. He began to remember the night as he looked at the photo more closely. He remembered the fight with Jiro, the way Jiro had put his arm around Kisara, and the way his blood had boiled the moment Jiro touched her. With each passing second the memory replayed and Pegasus's words were stuck in his head, he began to realize what he needed to do.

Seto shut down his computer, grabbed his coat, and left his office. As much as he hated Pegasus, the man was right. He couldn't let Kisara go… he couldn't throw away his one chance to be happy, even if it meant loving her from afar. The distance no longer mattered to him—the pain of Kisara not being near him was less excruciating than the idea that another man might enter Kisara's life and take his place. In a few short moments, he had exited the Kaiba Corp. building and was sprinting towards the parking lot. He loosened his tie and wiped the sweat from his brow before he flipped out his cell phone and hit speed dial.

"Master Kaiba? I'm surprised to hear from you on a Friday evening."

"Isono, I need a favor. Something came up and I need to make a quick trip to Hiroshima. Can you watch Mokuba for me? I'll be back later tonight but it'll probably be late."

"Wait, are you leaving for Hiroshima right now? Master Kaiba, it's 5 o'clock in the afternoon. The traffic will be unbelievable. Is this for business?" Seto rolled his eyes.

"Isono, I don't have time to explain why, I just need you to tell me you'll do it."

"Yes, of course I'll do it. What shall I tell Master Mokuba?" Seto shoved the key into the ignition and started the car before pulling out of his parking place without looking. He was already wasting too much time on the phone and he didn't want to get into the specifics with Isono, at least not right now. He needed to hang up and focus on the six hour drive.

"Just tell Mokuba that I'll be back before tomorrow morning and that nothing's wrong. I'm doing what he's been telling me to do for the last two weeks. Tell him that, okay?" Seto didn't wait for Isono to confirm he would relay the message to Mokuba, he just hung up and drove. Isono would understand, and there was no time to be worried about hurt feelings.

Questions were no longer swirling in Seto's head, instead, they had been replaced with thoughts and scenarios. He imagined Kisara, with her soft smile and even softer skin, entering a classroom, men staring at her. He was sure they wouldn't be staring at her deep, blue eyes either—the ones Seto had lost himself in a couple times before—they would be staring at the body that was only secondary to all she was. Those men wouldn't have any interest in getting to know her either, as perfect and wonderful as she was, they would be wanting to put their arms around her just like Jiro did. Just the thought of another man so much as staring at Kisara, that way, the wrong way, cemented Seto's foot cemented to the accelerator.

In that moment, Seto began to realize that the next six hours would be the most important six hours of his life. The time between getting to Kisara or losing her forever was all that mattered now.

* * *

Seto had been in Hiroshima for a couple minutes and already he was seeing signs promoting the Yokohama School of Business. He was off of the highway and knew that it would only be a couple of minutes before he got to the campus. He didn't know where he was going to park, where to begin searching for Kisara's dorm, or where she would end up being when he did get to her dorm… but he was happy to at least know her address. After questioning a couple people on campus, he was sure he could find Kisara.

Finding Kisara wasn't really the problem. In the six hours he had to himself, his fear for Kisara's whereabouts had grown. Sure, he would probably be able to find her dorm room in no time, but then what? What if she wasn't even in her dorm room? He couldn't stop himself from imagining her at some party on a Friday night, hanging out with a man. A college man. Then he imagined something worse. What if she was in her dorm room… but wasn't alone? What if she was lying her head on a boy's chest while they cuddled in bed? What if he stroked away the hair in her face and what if he did that right before he kissed her? It was a Friday night and Kisara, the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen, could be with anyone at this hour. After all, it was almost midnight.

Seto parked his car in the first place he could find, not caring whether he got a ticket. He asked the first person he ran into for directions to Kisara's dorm and was walking up the stairs to the third floor. With every step he took, his heart sank deeper into his stomach. He couldn't decide whether he wanted to find Kisara in her dorm or not. If she wasn't in her dorm, he didn't know how he would be able to find her or when he would be able to see her if he waited in her building. At the same time, he wasn't sure what he was going to do if he found her home, alone, with another man.

After exiting the stairwell, Seto walked down the hallway, scanning each door he passed for room 303. He found it quickly and then he stood in front of the door, choosing whether to knock or not. Seto wasn't sure this was the right thing to do. Showing up unannounced on a Friday night? How would she feel? What would she think? The more he stood there, the more questions he produced until he could take no more. He needed answers before he drove himself insane with his own apprehension. He knocked on the door.

In no time at all, the door was opened by none other than Kisara.

"Seto? What are you doing here?" Seto observed her outfit. The first thing he noticed was that she had clothes on. The second thing he noticed was that she was wearing pajamas. It was a relief to know that she wasn't at a party and didn't appear to be on her way to one. Still, if she was cozily dressed in her dorm, there could still be company inside.

"I'm sorry to drop in on you like this. Are you busy with anything or… anyone?" Seto asked, resisting the urge to burst into the dorm and get a better look for himself.

"No, my roommate's hanging out somewhere with her friends so she probably won't be back for a while. You haven't answered my question though. What are you doing here?" Kisara opened her door all the way, allowing Seto to see that she was, in fact, completely alone. Her quaint, little dorm room was well-put together, and he spotted an overturned book on her bed. Seto could finally let go of the rest of his worries just knowing that Kisara had been spending her Friday night reading. "Hello? Are you going to answer my question or keep looking at my room? It's a small dorm so one glance should pretty much tell you what it looks like in here."

Seto took hold of her hands.

"I came here because I didn't answer your question honestly during that interview," Seto responded, "Kisara, I'm in love with you and the truth is, I've been in love with you since before we went to the Graduation Dance… and maybe before that. Maybe since the first time you spoke to me, maybe even the first time I saw you. I can barely remember what my life was like before meeting you. All I really know is that my world hasn't been the same since you came into it and that means something to me." Seto paused, allowing himself time to postulate what he wanted to say next. All of his emotions, these feelings he was unfamiliar with due to his resistance to feel them, were making him disoriented. But he had to continue… he had to tell Kisara what she meant to him.

"The reason I didn't tell you how I felt was because I was scared. I was scared of how you made me feel and I was scared of what you would do with those feelings if I ever told you. So I chose to run away from them, thinking that was what you'd do if I ever told you…" Seto said, "But now… now I just want to be with you. Even if that means we can't physically be together for the next four months, I'm willing to do everything I can to make this work."

Kisara was silent. She hadn't batted an eye, or taken a breath. All she could do was stare at the man declaring his love for her. Seto Kaiba, the CEO of Kaiba Corp. who had brought her to Japan in the first place because of his expertise in business, was standing outside of her door asking to be hers. The shock of it all was so great she didn't know what to say. She felt so many emotions at once, words weren't forming in her mouth. She could only stare into those icy, blue eyes that began to melt as he asked for a second chance.

"I—" Kisara began, but there was no need for words. In an instant, Seto had pulled her into his arms, pressing lips against hers. Time suspended as the space between them disappeared, lost in each other's arms. Having Seto's body pressed against hers served as a reminder of the passion they felt during the six months they were together as well as the uncontrollable chemistry they shared from the first moment they met. What felt like an eternity was not nearly long enough as the two parted, Seto stepping back in an uncharacteristically unsure manner. Kisara saw his lips moving, but her brain was too dazed to decipher the syllables into words.

"…so I guess…" Kisara finally began to comprehend the words being said as Seto started to turn away, "I'll leave you in peace. I'm sorry." Her brain began to register what was happening and her body reacted. She grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"No, I won't let you leave." Kisara's lips rejoined with Seto's, confirming everything he had hoped for: a desire to try again. She pulled him back in her arms and their bodies became intertwined a second time. The pair gravitated back into her dorm and the door closed behind them.

It had taken a month and a half, but Seto and Kisara were together again.

* * *

**A/N:** _FINALLY! I can't believe that chapter took as long as it did. First and foremost, sorry for the delay! Most of you know I like to keep a pretty tight schedule when it comes to updating and I had actually written this chapter early, believe it or not, but the revising and re-writing process was a particular pain this time around. The problem I'm encountering these days is that I've been plotting out this story for about four years now so I'm getting to some of the scenes I've thought of years ago but don't actually remember the exact way I wanted them to be written which leads to a lot of writing and re-writing until my brain thinks we've written the scene I envisioned. It's pretty obnoxious but it produces good work… even if it means I have to suffer the woes of wanting perfection. If you want to know where I am in the writing/updating process, check out my Twitter! Around updating time, you'll typically get some relevant updates on how close I am to posting a new chapter. In between updating time, you can learn more about my crazy, weird life. Either way, I hope you all have a wonderful day! Thanks for reading._


	29. XXIX

"_You look in her eyes; the music begins to play._

_Hopeless romantics, here we go again._

_But after awhile, you're lookin' the other way._

_It's those restless hearts that never mend._

New Kid in Town by The Eagles

**XXIX**

"It is absolutely sweltering in this room," Kisara proclaimed upon entering the small dorm she called home. Seto followed after her, closing the door behind them while Kisara attempted to pry open the tiny window at the other end of the room. He did notice the rise in temperature after closing the door and agreed that sweltering was the perfect word to describe her dorm.

"It is really hot in here. Why is that?" Seto asked, as he scanned the room, attempting to locate the source of the stifling heat. Kisara merely grunted in response, as she continued to struggle with the window. "Here, let me get that for you," Seto offered, striding quickly to her side as he latched his hands to the worn window frame.

"Thanks," Kisara sighed in relief, surrendering the task to Seto's stronger, masculine arms, "It's been awful ever since they turned on the heat in our building. Despite the fact that it's the middle of September, some genius in the housing department thought turning on the heating would be a great idea so it's actually cooler outside than it is in here." As old as the single window in Kisara's dorm was, Seto was able to force it open after a few attempts. He sighed and sat down on Kisara's bed. He watched her sit, picturesque, opposite to him on her roommate's bed.

"That's terrible. I could run out and buy a fan for you, if you'd like." Seto made to get up but Kisara quickly replied, "No." She playfully pushed him back down on the bed, "We only have a day more, and I want to spend every second of it with you."

"Fine, but I'm bringing you a fan when I come next weekend—no protests." Kisara smiled. It really was true that it was the small things that mattered most and little gestures that let her know that Seto cared. Sitting across from him, she couldn't help but beam with happiness. They developed a system that every weekend, Seto would come down to visit and it was an occasion Kisara always looked forward to.

The pair had reconciled only a month earlier, but after Seto revealed his love for Kisara, their relationship was stronger than it had ever been before. He made every attempt to lessen the distance between them by talking to her several times each day. He did everything to show that every day he went without seeing her was a day he wished would end because that meant he was one day closer to seeing her again.

"I'd really appreciate that, Seto. Thank you," Kisara said, tilting her head to the side, "You know, you're really something else. I hope you know that."

"Really now? Because I could say the same thing about you," Seto replied, smiling back at her. Kisara couldn't take it any longer; before she knew what happened, she was in his arms, their bodies and mouths entwined in a sensual embrace. They would share many such kisses throughout the weekend. The first kiss they would share with each other after being reunited always tasted sweeter than the ones they shared when they would say goodbye. A hello kiss held promises for the weekend—a great time, a good laugh, and of course, fond moments to hold onto when the weekend finally ended. The goodbye kiss was tragic—it was an conclusion, one that meant loneliness would follow for the next five days, until they saw each other again.

Experiencing this kind of affection from Seto always made Kisara wonder what their relationship had even been like the prior six months they were together. He had never been so open with her before and it made the relationship more real than it ever was. What did they even talk about before they had broken up? If admitting he was in love was what had been blocking Seto, how long had he been in love with her? What other feelings had he hidden from her? Even amongst all the questions she came up with during their time apart, all of them disappeared almost instantly the moment she was in his arms, his lips pressed against hers.

Suddenly Seto pulled away.

"Where is that racket coming from?" Kisara didn't even notice the loud noise emanating from the main student plaza that was only a couple feet from her window. Her head tilted, walking to the window to get a better listen.

"Oh, it's just some frat kids dancing in the street to music. They must've hooked up the intercom system to someone's iPod. The students here can be obnoxiously loud on the weekend." Kisara looked back at Seto and saw that he was becoming incredibly uncomfortable. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, it's just that I can't stand the music people listen to these days. Do you think you could close the window for a bit?" Kisara nodded and was about to close the window when suddenly, she froze.

"Wait, I know this song." Kisara said, her face brightening as she stood rapt, listening for a few more moments. At first, the music was low, almost like there wasn't any music playing at all. She became focused, inching closer to the opened window until the mixture of guitar and drums blasted from outside. She leapt into the air and began to sway to the beat. "Oh my gosh, I love this song!"

"What are you doing?" Seto asked, not sure how he should be reacting to what he was watching Kisara do as she rocked out to the music playing outside.

"I'm dancing! This is 'Sleeping with the Television On' by Billy Joel and he's my favorite artist! I love singing to this song," Kisara exclaimed, and then held out a hand to Seto, "Come dance with me!" Seto quickly shook his head.

"If you recall our Graduation Dance, I'm not much of a dancer and even less of a singer. I think I'll just sit this one out." Kisara didn't seem like she heard Seto respond at all. The minute Billy Joel began singing, she became all-consumed in the music. She held an imaginary microphone to her mouth as she spun all around the tiny dorm room.

"_I've been watching you waltz all night, Diane. Nobody found a way behind your defenses. They never noticed the zap gun in your hand until you're pointing it and stunning their senses,_" Kisara jumped up on her roommate's bed and closed her eyes as she belted on, "_All night long, all night long… you'll shoot 'em down because you're waiting for somebody good to come on… but you'll be sleeping with the television on._" Her body grooved to every beat of the drums the song had to offer, totally mesmerized. No part of her seemed to notice that she was singing and dancing in Seto's presence. She was transported to another world.

As she continued with her performance, Seto couldn't help but observe her as she was absorbed by the music. He had seen her become this way once before when they had attended the dance together, but this time was different. This time he was experiencing it from up close and he could tell how happy singing and dancing made her. Nothing of this world existed while she moved with the music and in a way, he was jealous of her ability to completely detach from everything around her. Although Seto knew he was never and could never be the dancing or singing type, watching Kisara dance made him wish he could, if only to share the joy that resonated from her body.

"_This isn't easy for me to say, Diane. I know you don't need anybody's protection. I really wish I was less of a thinking man and more a fool who's not afraid of rejection,_" Kisara continued, "_All night long, all night long… I'll just be standing here 'cause I know I don't have the guts to come on… and I'll be sleeping with the television on._" Most music disturbed and annoyed Seto, but somehow experiencing this erased all of the irritation music typically brought out of him.

His eyes watched methodically as her body twisted and turned. Her hair swayed in the air and he felt enraptured by the movement. It was in that moment that he realized he had never met anyone with the type of hair Kisara had. The off-beat white that went down way past her shoulders, the kind of color that couldn't be found on the heads of anyone else. His eyes trailed the thick strands of hair back up to her face where his eyes met with her. She had the deepest blue eyes, similar to that of an ocean he could see himself drowning in. As the waves beat against him, he wouldn't care. He knew he was home. He was home in those familiar eyes that reminded him that there was a life outside of business, outside of his office, outside of everything he had ever known to be reality. Not once had he ever thought to sit down and admire the beauty in dancing and singing but Kisara was someone entirely different to him. She made him appreciate things he never thought he would.

As the song came to an end, Kisara's exhaustion finally caught up with her. As the closing bridge began playing, she opened her eyes and wandered over to the window. "I think that's enough dancing for one day," Kisara said between exhausted breaths, closing the window to get a break from the music. Seto got up and grabbed a towel that was folded on her desk and handed it to her. "Oh, thanks. Yeah, sometimes I just get really caught up in the music that I don't realize how tiring dancing can be." Kisara gently padded the beads of sweat on her forehead, trying to keep from wiping away the make-up on her face.

"You've really got a great voice," Seto added, "And even though I'm no expert, I'd be willing to wager that your dancing is above average as well… better than mine at any rate."

"Thanks, I'm not sure I agree, but I do enjoy singing and dancing. I find them to be very therapeutic."

"I can tell. I only wish I could enjoy them the way you do."

"I bet you could if you tried." Seto immediately shook his head.

"No, no, no… that's never going to happen. I would never do either of those things."

"Oh, come on! You never know until you try. Besides, you owe me for leaving me out on the floor alone. You have to dance with me," Kisara held out her hand to Seto a second time, "I've got another one in me. Let's do it together." Seto chuckled.

"Not a chance, Safiya. Not even Mokuba could get me to do that." Kisara retracted her arm. She opened her mouth to respond, when suddenly there was a knock at the door. She playfully threw the towel Seto had given her and got up to open the door without bothering to inquire the person on the outside. Kisara assumed it was her roommate who, in addition to having a tendency to sleep out all weekend, also had a tendency to forget her key card in her dorm.

"Did you forget your key card again?" Kisara asked as the door swung open. When she saw the face on the other side of the door, her smile fell.

"I didn't forget my key card, but finding your dorm room was a bit of a challenge." A smug male voice resonated through the room. Seto's hair raised on the back of his neck, as he got up to get a better look at the stranger standing outside of the door. It was a man, about the same age as Seto, staring at Kisara with a wide, Cheshire cat grin. The individual had long, dark brown hair and even darker brown eyes, eyes that were so focused on Kisara that he didn't seem to notice there was another person in the room. The way he was staring at Kisara, however, caused Seto to step forward and intervene.

Kisara's face, on the other hand, was completely void of any emotion. She stared, wide-eyed, at the man standing before her. Her mouth was slightly ajar, still open from the question hanging in the air. She felt paralyzed, her hand still cemented to the doorknob. It was as if she was frozen in time, staring at the man who seemed to cast a powerful spell over her with his mere presence. It wasn't until she felt Seto's arm wrap around her waist that she broke free of her trance.

"And who might you be?" Seto growled, holding Kisara tightly by his side and attempting to stare so deeply into the man's eyes that he would instill the fear of God into him. Seto had that ability, he knew that. It was something he had picked up from his step father and one he most typically used when conducting business with competitors. It was a tactic that almost always gave him results. For this particular advisory, however, it seemed to have no effect.

"Mahad…" Kisara quietly spoke, her voice trailing off as if she was not sure of anything she was witnessing at the moment, "How did you find me?" Mahad didn't acknowledge Seto's presence, his eyes were still fixed on Kisara, a grin still plastered to his face.

"Your parents told me you were going to school here and I decided to pay you a visit. I've been trying to reach you for a while but with no success. It wasn't until I showed up at your house last week that your parents told me where you had gone," Mahad reached out to grab Kisara's hand, "I can't believe you left without telling me." Kisara instinctively pulled away before Mahad could even touch her. Her eyes were wide, the expression on her face changed from shock to absolute terror. Seto could feel Kisara's body begin to shake.

"I told you I never wanted to see you again," Kisara stated, her voice trembling with every word she said. Seto wasn't entirely sure what was happening, turning his attention from Kisara to Mahad. He was too shocked to react; he had never seen Kisara this way before. She thrust her hands forward and shoved Mahad away. Mahad caught himself from Kisara's feeble attempt to push him over and countered by snatching Kisara's hand with his.

"And I've left you countless messages and e-mails saying how sorry I am for the way things ended but I'm here now because I still love you and I want to be with you." It was then that it all clicked for Seto who Mahad was and why Kisara was reacting so strongly. He was the reason she had left Egypt. He was the person who broke her heart. He was the source of all of her pain. All the running she had ever done in the last year was to get away from _him_.

When Seto realized this, pure rage dictated the actions that followed.

"Get away from her," Seto shouted with such intensity that his anger filled the room and fueled the motion of his fist as it collided with Mahad's face, sending him to the floor. Seto hovered over him, waiting for Mahad to get back on his feet before throwing him down with another punch.

"Seto, please stop!" Seto was only vaguely aware of Kisara's screams. It was unimportant, periphery to his intense hatred toward the man sprawled out across the floor before him. "Get up, Mahad. Get up and fight me before I send your bruised up face back to Egypt where you belong."

Mahad slowly rose to his feet, but continued to disregard Seto's presence. His eyes followed Kisara, tears flowing down her face, her screams only just now becoming audible to Seto as he saw Mahad slowly get up and inch towards her.

"Kisara, please don't cry," Mahad reassuringly cooed to her. Kisara whirled away from Mahad, Seto, and the scene they had just made in the middle of the hallway. She went inside her room and shut the door. The slamming of the door and Kisara's sobs on the other side of it brought Seto back to reality. He no longer saw red, but he knew that if Mahad did not leave, he would see it again.

"You need to leave. Right. Now." Seto didn't leave any room for questions or concerns. It was the first moment Mahad and Seto's eyes met. When they did, Seto was surprised to find that his eyes were a shade of dark brown that almost appeared to be black. There was no warmth in his eyes. They appeared so unfeeling, Seto could hardly believe he was looking at a living, breathing person. Mahad's eyes narrowed before turning away.

"I'll be back," Mahad concluded, taking his first steps down the hall.

"No, you won't. If you ever show up again at Kisara's dorm or anywhere near her again, I'll make damn sure you're never allowed back into Japan." Mahad stopped halfway down the hall.

"And who do you think you are?"

"I'm Seto Kaiba, one of the most powerful men in Japan," Seto stated assertively, "I'm the one she needs now. Not you."

There was a pause between them. A long pause.

"Do you love her?"

"More than anything in the world."

Again, another pause.

"Good luck with that."

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi everybody! First things first, who thought I was dead?! I know I did! For those of you wondering where I disappeared off to for the last three months, the answer is… a couple places. I actually went on a last minute, two week trip to Italy to go to my uncle's wedding in July and it was awesome! Then I spent the rest of the summer basically freaking out about my life because three weeks ago, I started my last semester of college. Crazy, right? I also happen to be writing a book as part of an independent study this year in addition to taking honors classes because apparently I want to graduate with honors? I don't know, I'm just an overachiever and it's such a stressful existence sometimes. I'm sure you guys are all wondering what that means for this story. Part of my hiatus was due to the fact that I was just filled to the brim with stress about my last semester but now that I've started (quitting many of jobs in order to perform well in my courses), I think my updates will return to being posted on a once a month basis. My goal to finish this story was December but because of my three month hiatus, I'm not sure that's possible. I'm not sure how many chapters are still left, but I know there's still a bunch more stuff left to be written so stay tuned! Thanks for reading and of course, thanks for all of your lovely reviews! See you in a month (hopefully)!_


	30. XXX

"_And it seems that every time,_

_We're eye to eye,_

_I can find another piece of you,_

_That I don't wanna lose."_

Fine By Me by Andy Grammer

**XXX**

Kisara never came out of her room—long after Mahad left, long after Seto's fight with him, and long after the day had turned to night. He tried consoling and talking to her through the closed door, but Kisara was silent, leaving him no choice but to wait outside her dorm until she came out. He knew that it could be several hours before she would decide to leave her room, possibly even more before she decided to acknowledge Seto. At this point, he didn't even know if Kisara and he were still together, but he didn't care. He refused to leave Kisara's door, wanting to be there whenever she came out.

The worst part about sitting in the hallway of a college dorm on a Saturday was that all sorts of students were coming in and out, all at odd hours of the night. Some approached him, asking him why he was there or if he was selling drugs. He didn't answer, figuring that would get them to leave sooner. It turned out silence was the best college student repellant.

Seto didn't sleep the whole time he waited. Not that Seto would've ever attempted to sleep in a hallway shared by a bunch of strangers, but the students made a point to be so loud and obnoxious he couldn't think straight. He remained surprisingly calm, rationalizing all of his stress in perspective to his goal. He refused to leave Kisara's campus until the two of them had a chance to talk.

It wasn't until 4am, when the racket of the college students calmed down, that Kisara's door opened. Seto was in a daze when she emerged. She noticed he had his knees bent in front of him, his arms wrapped around the front, and his head buried in the darkness between his knees and his chest. He hadn't noticed her. Kisara closed the door behind her and sat down beside him, crossing her legs on the floor and letting her arms fall to her sides. It was this motion that finally awoke him.

Seto jerked awake. His head shot up from behind his knees and smacked against the wall he was leaning against. He winced with pain and unraveled his knees. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Kisara sitting beside him, looking at the ground. "Kisara, you're here…" he said, still waking up from his twenty minute power nap.

"I am," Kisara said softly, sounding weak in her voice. Seto turned his head and saw that Kisara's face was red and puffy—she had been crying for hours. She looked even more exhausted than he did.

"What are you doing out here?" Seto assumed Kisara had fallen asleep hours ago when he stopped hearing her sobs from the other side of the door. "I was starting to think you never wanted to see me again…"

"I didn't," Kisara replied, "but Granny King used to tell me never go to bed angry."

"But you've been in there all night."

"Yeah, I know. I tried going to bed angry and it didn't work. Now I'm out here." Both of them returned to the sounds of silence, the sounds that had separated them since Mahad's departure. Despite being only a couple feet away from one another, the hours spent apart made them seem farther away from each other than they had ever been before, as if Mahad's reappearance created an even bigger distance than the one they felt when they were broken up. Seto craved to regain that closeness again, something he had never achieved with anyone before—the kind of closeness that made him feel, for the first time ever, that he wasn't alone.

"It was on September 8th." Kisara blinked her eyes, returning to reality from whatever daydream she had floated off to. Several minutes of unspoken tension had passed.

"Excuse me?" Kisara asked, her voice still hushed as if worried she might wake the mass of hung-over souls passed out in their beds.

"Last year, on September 8th, I saw you for the first time and that was nearly a week ago. I meant to tell you about it that day but I forgot. That was the same day you had your first exam in statistics so I didn't want to distract you." Kisara didn't know what to say. She hadn't remembered that September 8th was the day they first met. Was she supposed to know? Would Seto's feelings be hurt if she expressed otherwise? Kisara, unable to process the information due to lack of sleep and emotional exhaustion, could only come up with one response.

"…Oh."

Seto looked away for the moment, watching as his fingers made nonexistent circles on the cold hallway floor beside him. He watched his hands move in a circular motion, as if searching for the meaning in his thoughts by watching this meaningless action. That was when he continued, not entirely sure what words would come out next, "It's weird… the way I remember that day. I didn't know it then."

"Didn't know what?"

"I didn't know that day would be the most important day of my life and yet I remember it so well. Isn't it strange how the brain works? How you remember some days and others not at all, even when the importance of the day doesn't come until a year later?" Seto eyes shifted from the circles he was drawing on the floor back to Kisara's face.

Kisara shook her head in disbelief.

"That couldn't have been the most important day of your life."

"It was certainly one of them. The first time I saw you—the first time I talked to you—changed my life forever. You know that, right? I can never go back to the way things were. I tried when we broke up but there's something about you…" Seto didn't even know what it was about Kisara that made her different from every person he had ever met before. His voice trailed off, the circles he was drawing on the ground became bigger, and his thoughts became lost. There was something about her that not even he could put his finger on.

There was a pause in the conversation. Kisara knew that it was her turn to speak, but she wasn't sure how to respond. Seto remembering the first day he saw her a year ago only served as a reminder that it had been a year since she left Egypt, since she tried to forget Mahad. Seeing him again reminded her how little she had managed to forget about Mahad in the year that passed.

"I'm sorry about what happened… about Mahad showing up. I thought we were done." Seto turned his head toward her.

"He said that he loved you." Kisara face immediately contorted with frustration.

"Mahad says a lot of things he doesn't mean."

"So you don't think it's true?"

"I know it's not true."

"Why would he come all this way to see you then?"

"To try and mess with me," Kisara snapped, "He's such a bastard." In spite of her sleep deprivation, her anger was seething through her body. Seto raised his eyebrows. He couldn't remember the last time he had heard Kisara curse. Her knuckles were white as she squeezed her hands into fists.

"He's always been like this, even before we were dating. He's so cunning sometimes, you can never tell what he's thinking. It was like one day he would say one thing and the next we would get into a fight. He had this ability to be so sweet but only for a price." Words were spilling out of Kisara's mouth; she didn't know where one thought began and one thought ended, "He always wanted to sleep with me and he did everything in his power to do it. I told him I wasn't like that and there would be times where he said he didn't care. Most times, he made it seem otherwise…"

Seto sat silently, listening to every word, following her every movement and hand motion as she described her relationship with Mahad. She got so riled up speaking about him. Seto could understand why; he sounded like a complete jerk. At the same time, why was she so angry? It made no sense. Kisara and Mahad's relationship was over and had been over for quite some time. What did it mean that she felt the need to talk about their relationship? She spoke of it with so much passion that it almost appeared as though… his eyes widened.

"He was the kind of guy who would tell me that he loved me and that I was beautiful, right before he would belittle me and tell me that my dreams were stupid. Why would someone like me want to be anything more than a pretty face? He only loved me for what I looked like standing beside him and—"

"Do you love him?"

Kisara's expression in that moment was a mix between being offended and being absolutely livid.

"Are you seriously asking me that right now?"

Seto nodded. He was more afraid of the response than the way Kisara was looking at him.

"How could you suggest I was in love with a guy who only liked me for how I looked? Or better yet, someone who made me feel like I was always doing something wrong? Following my dreams wasn't all we fought about. Every day I did something new to piss him off and it was always my fault; as if he was Mr. Perfect and he expected me to see him the same way. It would be the most mundane things that we would fight over too, and yet the moment I would try to defend myself, he would shoot me down like I didn't know what I was talking about.

"That's not to say that there weren't good days. There were. I won't lie that there were days where he would be sweet to me. I will never forget the way he would look at me or the way he would hold my hand. I never wanted to let go on those days." Kisara paused, looking away from Seto and shifting her gaze to the floor. "We didn't have a lot of those days, because most of our days were filled with fights, saying things we would have to apologize for and take back later. We would say things we didn't mean but our fights were so frequent that sometimes I would wonder which things we actually meant and which ones we were taking back to deceive ourselves into thinking we'd be okay."

Kisara paused. She continued to stare at the floor. Mahad's smile is what she always remembered the most when she wanted to get through the hard times with him. He had this sort of smile that could move mountains, rivers, and most importantly, her heart. Just one smile on his face could make her believe she wanted to be with him until the end of time. The only problem was that his smiles were attached to his lips and his lips were directly tied to the arguments they had that lasted until two in the morning.

Seto remained quiet until he felt sure Kisara had nothing more to add.

"So you do." Kisara looked up. Her anger appeared to have subsided.

"I loved him." Kisara leaned over, placing her hand on Seto's, staring him deeply in the eyes. Her hand was cold and frail, like that of a branch after an ice storm. Her thin fingers felt like they were engulfed in a layer of ice. Even in the florescent light of the hallway, her eyes looked as blue as ever. They were as deep as the ocean, obscure and uncompromising, giving little to no indication of what emotions were truly felt and what were forced. Her eyes that left him in darkness, a darkness that he could not understand.

"I love you." There they were. The three magical words Seto was sure he would never hear escape Kisara's lips. Her hold on his hand tightened, "He's the past and you're the future. What we have is all that matters to me now." Her face inched closer to his. Seto was still fixated on her eyes, not wanting to break their gaze until he was absolutely sure she meant what she said. He searched the depth of her eyes to find a sliver of truth in her words but they closed too quickly for him to find. Her lips pressed against his and he was left to wonder whether he should kiss back.

Could he trust Kisara's words? Seto wasn't one to take chances, especially not in the few matters that involved his feelings. At the same time, wasn't it Kisara who was in the same position as him not too long ago? When he had shown up at Kisara's door a month and a half after they had broken up, wasn't she the one who took a chance on him when he admitted to being in love with her? Didn't it mean something that she had opened the door at all that day?

Out of love or logic, Seto kissed Kisara back. Fully aware that the concepts of love and logic couldn't exist in the same universe, he allowed himself to reciprocate Kisara's affection. It was a well-known fact that Seto rarely took chance but he decided that loving Kisara would be one of them. Maybe he would never be sure of how she truly felt. In that moment, though, he was willing to risk everything because she was everything to him. It was just like he said; his life could never go back to the way it was. The damage had already been done, whether he liked it or not, he was in love with Kisara.

Seto's arms wrapped around Kisara's shoulders and brought her in closer. The feel of her lips, her arms, her skin… they all were reminders that he never wanted to let go. With her arms wrapped around his neck, Seto could live like this forever. He could feel the brush of her smooth skin against his own, mold his lips to match hers, and not once want to live in a different reality. With her, he felt completely at peace. The kiss lasted only a few seconds before Kisara broke away. At first Seto thought it was because something was wrong but then he saw the exhaustion on Kisara's face. He imagined his face probably looked the same.

"Let's go to bed," Kisara said. He helped Kisara to her feet and allowed her to guide him into her bedroom. Seto laid down on his side, his back against the wall, and wrapped one arm across Kisara as she laid down beside him. He pressed his nose into Kisara's hair and shut his eyes for a moment, letting the familiar smell of her apple shampoo fill his nose. She shifted her body once or twice before becoming completely still in Seto's arms.

Seto gently pulled the covers from the bottom of the bed and placed them over her and his body. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness that filled the room, he noticed there was a note beside the bed. It was folded into a small square and on the front it had his name written on it. He thought about waking Kisara up to inquire about it but he was too tired to stay awake long enough to ask.

Seto's eyes began to grow heavy as he continued to stare at the note. The longer he stared, the more his heart was gripped with fear. Could Kisara really mean what she said… could she really be in love with him? She had always seemed so resistant to the idea of ever falling in love again. Had Seto really been able to break through her walls as she did his? Yet the inscription of his name on the note was all he could see, the letters practically glowed in the darkness of the room.

With Kisara's body pressed up against his, Seto followed every breath she made and the rhythm of each breath made his eyes grow heavier with exhaustion until he could no longer keep them open. When his eyes finally shut, he buried his head deeper into her hair. It didn't matter what the note said because he was sure they were going to make it. He had let her go once because of fear and he wasn't going to do it again.

Seto was ready to let himself love Kisara with every fiber of his being, even if it meant never truly knowing how she felt about him.

* * *

**A/N:** _Happy new year, everyone! Yes, 2013 has come and gone and 2014 is only just beginning. Isn't that exciting? Not only that, but I've decided that my first order of business for 2014 is gracing you with this long awaited chapter! For those of you who haven't read my "Story Section" on my profile, I've been unable to update for the last three and a half months due to finishing college. Nevertheless, I graduated about two weeks ago and now I have more time to focus on my writing! I'm not sure what that means for updating in the future: if it'll become more regular or if the abundance of time will make me stagnate even more but I liked to think this'll mean more updates. I had originally intended to finish this story in December of 2013 but due to my month to two month long hiatuses, I wasn't able to make that deadline. There's also the fact that I don't actually know how many more chapters are left in this chapter (so don't feel sad yet!). I'm sure figuring that out, along with post-grad life, will be quite the learning experience. Other than that, I want to say thanks to all of my readers and reviewers of 2013! I hope you continue to like the stuff I have to write. A special thanks goes out to my friend Caroline who was my beta reader for this chapter! Love you guys and I'm excited to see what 2014 has to offer. _


	31. XXXI

"_I never had to say goodbye,_

_You must have known I wouldn't stay._

_While you were talking about our life,_

_You killed the beauty of today."_

Cry For You by September

**XXXI**

Trees came in and out of her vision as Kisara stared out of the window, blipping in and out of existence one by one. As she felt the train rumble, her eyes remained focused on the passing trees. Some were larger than others. Some were farther away. No matter their size or shape, the train passed each one and in a matter of seconds, it was gone. Kisara couldn't remember all the trees she had seen on the side of the tracks. Instead, each one that passed was another mark of how close she was to returning to him. Not her actual home, but the other place she had come to call home. The one that could be found in Domino City, Japan.

Her eyes shifted down to the CD player that sat in her lap. A portion of the device was see-through, and her eyes followed as the CD spun around and around indefinitely. The soothing melody of Chopin Nocturne Op.9 No.2 by Arthur Rubinstein echoed in her ears and centered her. Classical music was her favorite to listen to on any occasion, but watching the CD spin as it played the album she had heard a hundred times before, she was reminded of how much time had passed in a blink of an eye. The days of preparation for her move to Japan, the hours that it took to fly there, and even the first couple of months she lived in Japan had all occurred over a year ago and yet she still remembered everything like it was yesterday.

Kisara looked away from the window and down at the CD player that sat in her lap. As the music continued to play, she remembered one memory in particular. October 25th… Seto's birthday. Tomorrow would mark a year since she witnessed Seto go on a rampage in his office. She remembered standing there, watching him destroy everything in sight and attempting to reason him back to consciousness. When Seto couldn't be reached, she turned on classical music and blasted it into the room. It was the music that brought Seto back to his senses.

Kisara placed a hand on her CD player and closed her eyes. So much had changed since then. In the year that had passed, Seto and Kisara had dated, broken up, gotten back together, and fallen in love with one another. It was astonishing to think of a time where Seto didn't make Kisara's heart leap out of her chest upon seeing him, though perhaps he had always had that effect on her. It was impossible to deny, even from the earliest of their interactions, that there was something special between them.

"Next stop: Domino City," stated the automated voice from the intercom. Kisara unplugged her headphones and began gathering her things together. It wouldn't be long now before she arrived at the station where Seto would greet her. Yes, much had changed between them, but she liked to think it was for the better. As hard as they had tried to keep themselves from falling apart, perhaps they were meant to come together the way they had. Their relationship was never perfect but it was real, just like the feelings they had for one another.

"Now arriving at: Domino City Station." The train proceeded to put on the brakes and slowly come to a stop. Kisara swung the small bag she had brought over her shoulder and got up from her seat. Her legs were shaking a bit from anticipation, making it difficult to stand upright without teetering a bit. She always got this way right before she would see Seto for the first time in a week. Nevertheless, she put all of her energy into calming herself and neutralizing her face. Big, bursts of emotions seemed to daunt Seto, especially in crowds, so she wanted to appear just as cool and collected as he was.

The doors opened and passengers began to pool out of the train. Kisara took a deep breath. Typical symptoms she experienced upon first seeing Seto included squealing, jumping up and down, and uncontrollable hugging. She would get lost in her own excitement when she first saw Seto but she was determined that this time would be different. After all, it wasn't every day that she came home to Domino City to see him. In fact, it was the first time she had been back since the day she left for college.

Kisara exited the train and immediately spotted Seto in the crowd. He was incredibly tall, and dashingly handsome, so it wasn't hard to miss him. She could feel her heart doing a back flip in her chest but kept herself from doing anything other than walking forward. As thrilled as she was, she was even more so over the fact that she was actually managing to keep calm. Her eyes locked with Seto's as she moved forward, distracting her from the pair of arms that locked themselves around her waist. She never fell over from impact.

"Kisara! You're here!" Kisara looked down to see a mess of black hair and two gray eyes looking back up at her, "Nii-sama let me skip school just to come and see you. Isn't that great?" All of her preparation and composure went right out of the window the moment she saw Mokuba. Her bags fell to the ground instantly. She bent down and brought the boy into her arms, lifting him up into the air.

"Oh my gosh, Mokuba! Look at you! I can't believe you're here! I'm so happy to see you!" Kisara squealed so loudly that nearly everyone in the station stopped and stared at her for a moment. Tears formed on the edge of her eyes as she twisted back and forth, clutching Mokuba against her. The sight of Mokuba reminded her of how long it had been since she had seen the boy and how important he had been to helping her survive her first year in Japan.

"Aw, I'm happy to see you too… but could you put me down? Everyone is looking at us," Mokuba asked, shocked by Kisara's burst of energy and feeling uncomfortable by the many eyes that were looking his way. She placed him back down and wiped the tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you. It's just been so long since I've seen you, I can hardly believe you're standing right here."

"The last time you saw him must've been the day I showed up at your apartment." Kisara looked up at Seto and smiled. His arms were open and inviting. Kisara graciously rose to her feet and planted a kiss right on his lips. "Which means it's been about two and a half months since you've seen him." Kisara turned back to Mokuba, noticing that he turned away as they kissed.

"Does our kissing gross you out? Don't tell me you still think girls have cooties."

"What? Of course not! I haven't thought that since I was in second grade."

Kisara laughed. Seto picked up the bags at her feet and the three of them began walking towards the parking lot. Seto walked ahead as Kisara and Mokuba followed a few steps behind, walking side by side.

"Well, that's good to hear. Aren't you in high school now? Pretty soon you'll be getting a girlfriend of your own!" Kisara said. Seto tensed up and stopped walking. Kisara and Mokuba stopped as well.

"I wouldn't give him any ideas," Seto stated sternly, looking back at Kisara and Mokuba, "Mokuba isn't old enough to start dating and _I'll_ be deciding when he's of age for that." Mokuba smirked and crossed his arms with pride.

"How do you know I don't already have a girlfriend and you just don't know about it?" There was a split second of terror that flashed on Seto's face before his expression changed to anger. It was so brief, Kisara almost wondered if she had seen the look of terror at all. It seemed Mokuba had seen it too as he laughed to lighten the mood. He ran up to him and nudged Seto's side.

"Calm down, Nii-sama. You know I wouldn't do something like that. Besides, girls are annoying. The only girl I like is Kisara, and that's just because she's like my sister." Seto smiled, giving Mokuba a ruffle of his hair in affirmation. There were a few moments where the pair of brothers stood apart in silence, looking up at each other knowingly with a smile on their faces that confirmed everything they knew would never change: they would always be a team. It always warmed her heart to see how close Seto and Mokuba were to one another. Although the two didn't look like brothers in appearance, it was the way they smiled that marked their kinship.

"How about we get a move on then? The car's not far from here." Kisara snapped out of her thoughts and followed them into the parking lot where Seto's car was waiting for them. It wasn't until everything was packed up and they were on the road heading to her apartment that she remembered a very pressing issue she had meant to bring up earlier.

"Seto, are you heading to my place?"

"Yeah, I thought maybe you would want to drop your stuff off before we hung out. Why?"

"There's a bit of a problem with that. I sort of don't live there anymore." Seto's eyes shot up into the rear-view mirror.

"What?! Since when? You said everything was going to be fine in terms of covering your rent while you were at school."

"And I was telling the truth when I said that. You see, the apartment I was staying in was never mine, it was my aunt's and, well, she moved back in when I moved out for school. She called me up a couple weeks before I was due to start the semester and said it was perfect timing." Seto pulled the car over into the next open parking lot he could find and parked the car. Seto turned around to face Kisara. She didn't want to meet his gaze, looking away and slumping in her seat.

"I'm sorry; I didn't mean to upset you."

"You didn't upset me—I'm just confused. When were you planning on telling me you were homeless?" Kisara shrugged, turning her face back towards Seto.

"I figured I would tell you when I was actually homeless. I technically live in my dorm right now," She continued, her voice trailing off a bit. "That is until the end of the semester when I come back home. I only saved up enough money to attend for one semester." The conversation became quiet after that. Mokuba's attention switched back and forth between Seto and Kisara. Both of them avoided each other's gaze, neither knowing what to say or who should speak first. Seto shifted in his seat, facing forward and placing his hands firmly on the steering wheel. Kisara turned her head to look out the side window. Mokuba considered suggesting a solution himself but then again, he didn't know what that solution would be. He sat back in his seat and decided it was best if they worked it out amongst themselves.

"So… yeah. Anyway, is it cool if I stay at your place this weekend since I don't have anywhere else to go?" Kisara asked, breaking the incredibly long two minutes of silence between them. She didn't know what else to say or if there was anything else to say. The situation was what it was. For now, she just wanted to enjoy the weekend that was ahead and get a break from all her stress.

"Of course. It's not like we don't have room at our place," Mokuba answered, happy he finally had something to contribute to the rather awkward lack of conversation. Seto said nothing, instead he started up the car again and began heading in the complete opposite direction, towards the Kaiba Mansion. It wasn't that Seto was mad at Kisara but more… flustered. Why wouldn't Kisara provide him with such crucial information on her own? He only ever found out these things after the fact, and it made him wonder if there were other things Kisara kept from him. After nearly a year of dating, could Seto honestly say he knew her?

Seto was determined to have his questions answered before Kisara returned to school at the end of the weekend.

* * *

It was only 11 p.m. but there Kisara was, already in her pajamas, and getting ready for bed. Even though it was Friday night, her strange sleep habits—namely her inability to sleep past 4 a.m.—made it undesirable for her to stay up late, whether it was the weekend or not. The only reason she had stayed up so late was because she was chatting with Mokuba until Seto told him it was time to go to bed which was when Kisara realized she should probably head to bed too.

After changing out of her clothes, she unpacked some of her things in order to take out what she was really looking for. A large, thin envelope with Seto's name printed on it with a card attached to the exterior. It was the gift she planned on giving Seto tomorrow when it was his birthday. She wasn't entirely convinced Seto would like it, but working with what little money she had, Kisara liked to think it was the thought that would count.

It was then that Kisara heard a soft knocking on the door. She quickly stashed the item under the bed before greeting the stranger that lurked outside, though she had an idea who might be gracing her at this hour. When she opened the door, it didn't surprise her to see Seto standing opposite to her.

"I hope I didn't wake you," Seto said, cautious as to whether he was disturbing her or not.

"No, no. I was getting ready to sleep but hadn't actually made it to bed yet," Kisara replied with a tired smile. "I'm sure by now you know that I tend to be an early sleeper to accommodate my sleeping habits." She stepped to the side, giving Seto the okay to come in. Despite his stoic exterior, she could tell there was something on his mind. Seto was hesitant to accept the invitation.

"Are you sure? If you were planning on sleeping, I don't mind going back to my office. I have some stuff I need to work on anyway." Kisara held his wrist and pulled him into her room. She led him to the side of her bed before they both sat down. Seto still appeared worried that he was intruding.

"It's okay, Seto. I can tell you want to talk. What's going on?" Seto appreciated Kisara being direct. It made him feel more comfortable about what he was going to ask. He shifted his body to face her completely before speaking.

"I came here because sometimes I feel as though there isn't a lot I know about you. I mean, I certainly know things about you, but when it comes to the really important stuff, I wonder if you've been holding back." Seto was greeted by a quizzical look on Kisara's end.

"What do you mean? Do you think I've been lying to you?"

"No, not that. It's like I said… I just feel as though, in a lot of ways, you're a mystery to me. There's so much I don't know about you, stuff that probably should've come up by now." Seto was one to talk, Kisara thought. After all, it wasn't like Seto had told her much about himself either. Though, to be fair, a lot of his life was in the public eye. Perhaps it was possible that they were uneven in what they knew about each other.

"Well, what is it you want to know? Ask me whatever questions you have and I'll answer them." Seto took no time at all to answer, as if the question had been present in his mind from before he walked into the room.

"What was the reason you and Mahad broke up? You've made it clear why you guys didn't work as a couple but I don't think you've ever told me what it was that finally ended your relationship." Kisara was silent for a moment, feeling her body tense up at the mere memory of what happened between her and Mahad. She would never forget the day but she never liked to remember what happened. Recalling it brought back too much pain for her.

"He…" Kisara was lost for words. Seto was sitting across from her, waiting for her to speak, and she knew she couldn't get around it. He wanted to know, needed to know, what it was that happened. It had been a year since she retold the story, but perhaps talking about it would make it hurt less.

Seto could tell that she was lost in her own thoughts, though it looked more like she was drowning in them. Her face was darkened as she mentally sunk into the painful memories. He wanted her to know that he didn't want to hurt her. Seto placed his hand on Kisara's.

"Kisara, are you okay?" Her hand immediately retracted from his, as if the mere touch of his hand had burned her skin.

"He told me we needed to see other people. He said that our relationship had become routine and that he felt like we were bored with each other. We never did anything new so what reason was there for us to stay together?" Kisara's eyes stared down at the tightly folded hands in her lap. Her fingers clasped onto each other for dear life, as if they were the chain links to the anchor that maintained her sanity. She was fighting back tears… or rather, fighting herself from being on the brink of tears.

"The fact of the matter was that he was bored with me. I wouldn't let him sleep with me and he knew that there were other girls that would. There were plenty of reasons why we needed to break up, but being bored of each other wasn't one of them. I didn't say anything to him, though. I was willing to take any reason to get out of that relationship so that's exactly what I did."

"What happened after you guys did break up?"

"I left. I got all of my stuff together, bought a plane ticket, and arrived in Domino City, Japan with nothing but a suitcase and my determination to follow my dreams," Kisara continued, finally meeting his gaze with hers, "It's like I told you before; I always dreamed of coming to Japan and working for you. Mahad and I breaking up only provided the realization that it was time to go sooner rather than later. Leaving was always part of my plan."

There was still confusion on Seto's face although Kisara couldn't pinpoint why. She told him everything there was to say. There wasn't anything left to the story and quite frankly, she didn't really want to keep talking about it. Kisara became cross, staring at Seto's face that seemed to yearn for more answers.

"I don't know why you keep looking at me like there's more to ask."

"I just don't understand why. If your relationship with Mahad was that bad, why not leave sooner? Why did you wait until he was bored with you to leave?" There it was. The question Kisara couldn't answer. No, it wasn't a question she couldn't answer. It was a question she didn't know how to answer.

"I honestly don't know," Kisara spoke slowly, softly, contemplating each word as it came out, "I guess he just had this hold over me. I wanted to leave him, but I couldn't let go. I tried all throughout our relationship but there's something about him…" Kisara didn't even know what it was about Mahad that kept him in her life for as long as he did. Her voice trailed off as she pondered what it was inside of her that refused to let him go, from her head and her heart.

Kisara hadn't noticed she was crying until she felt Seto wipe away some of her tears. She looked up, having spaced out for a while, lost in the vast memories and emotions of a strange and mysterious time in her life. She looked at Seto who looked back at her. Without saying anything, he brought her into his arms and held her close to his chest. She let herself be engulfed in Seto's warmth, his scent, and his presence as the tears began to flow freely now and her thoughts wandered to darker places.

What did it mean to have spent a year being with someone who caused her pain? Why did she allow herself to be hurt by someone who didn't treat her with respect? What part of herself held such great self-loathing that she actually allowed someone to treat her so poorly for so long? Seto may have begun the conversation in search of answers, but the conversation ended with Kisara finding she had even more questions than he did. The most prominent being: what was wrong with her?

She hoped to never find out or at the very least, that Seto never did. Maybe he would stop loving her if he ever knew. She also hoped to never see Mahad again, because she knew he was responsible for making her question herself. Mahad was the reason she would never be sure she could truly love another man again.

* * *

**A/N:** _Happy Valentine's Day, everyone! And depending on where you live, happy snow day too! I spent most of my snow day yesterday inside editing this fabulous piece of work so that I would be on time to post it today. Why today? Well, not only is it the holiday of love, but today also marks the three year anniversary of this story! I don't think there's ever been a story that I've worked on for this long before but because of college and life and my absolute determination for this to be a great story, I think it's been a three years well spent. Although I had hoped to have finished this story a lot sooner, I think it's all part of the journey of life and perhaps one day I will miss feeling guilty about belated updates. On that note, I do want to get back to updating once a month. This year it'll be posted every 14th of the month. Don't you dare think this story is anywhere close to finished because there's still a lot more where this came from! Not only that, but my amazing friend and fellow college graduate, Caroline, has been my unofficial beta reader for the past two chapters and she's done a great job of really tidying up my work and making it flawless. Other than that, a thousand thanks to all of you who have been reading, reviewing, and supporting this piece for as long as you have! It's been a great three years but I'm hoping that it'll be done before next year's Valentine's Day. Until then, enjoy your holiday and see you next month!_


	32. XXXII

"_Heart still beating but it's not working,_

_It's like a hundred thousand voices that just can't sing._

_I reached out trying to love but I feel nothing._

_Oh, my heart is numb."_

Feel Again by OneRepublic

**XXXII**

She woke up from her body's natural need to be awake when the sun was up, the dryness of her face from where the tears had soaked her skin, and a single arm draped across her chest. Kisara opened her eyes to find her back pressed against Seto's chest, feeling every breath that entered and escaped his body. She took a couple moments to assess where she was and why she was there.

She slowly raised her hand to her eyes and rubbed them. When finished, she turned her head and gazed at the sleeping man laying beside her. She hadn't remembered falling asleep in Seto's arms and yet here he was, lost in another world. For a brief moment, Kisara wondered where it was that Seto's dreams took him and how it was that after almost a year of dating, she had never seen him sleep.

Seto, much like Kisara, had strange, built-in sleeping habits that allowed for very little rest. While she was unable to sleep past 4am, Seto was unable to sleep for more than two or three hours at a time. Neither of them had ever explained to one another why it was that they tended to maintain such irrational sleeping patterns but perhaps neither of them had an explanation either. But, at least for a night, they had broken their habits and slept well.

The soft ticking of Seto's wristwatch drew Kisara's attention in the silence of the room. Kisara was at the Kaiba Mansion, she had been crying the night before, and today was Seto's birthday. Her body shifted up realizing this all at once, waking the birthday boy. Kisara was greeted by two blue eyes staring back at her, engulfing her with warmth.

"Good morning," Seto murmured, before stretching his head to give Kisara a light kiss on the cheek. He then looked around and noticed that the room they were residing in was the guest room and not Kisara's dorm, the place where Seto had become used to seeing her face the first moment he woke up. "Oh, sorry. I didn't mean to fall asleep in your room last night." Kisara turned around so that she was lying on her side, facing Seto.

"You don't have to be sorry. I don't mind." Kisara placed her hand on Seto's cheek as she gazed at him. She traced her hand along the side of his cheek, feeling the roughness of the stubble on his face. Seto always had this way of looking dapper, as if he naturally woke up looking as good as he did in front of the cameras. But feeling his stubble made her realize just how close she and Seto had become. For a brief moment, she pondered whether she was the first and only person who had ever gotten so close to him that she was able to feel his facial hair.

"I love this," Seto said, after their five minute span of silence.

"What do you mean?" Kisara asked, her hands still entranced by the roughness of Seto's face. She continued to stroke Seto's cheek, mesmerized by both the touch and the way Seto was staring at her. His eyes were locked onto hers, making her believe he never wanted to look away.

"Waking up with you. I don't know why, but for some reason I'm able to sleep when you're laying beside me. It's something I noticed a while ago when I started sleeping over at your dorm," Seto continued. "I'm not much of a sleeper, but when I'm with you… I don't know. I feel like I'm home."

Suddenly, Kisara's lips were met with Seto's. As they kissed, she couldn't help but wonder if Seto made her feel the same way… if he was like home to her. Sure, she could acknowledge that Japan had become a second home to her after living there for a year, but was there really anything that Seto did that made her feel at home? She didn't think there was but then again, being in his arms was where she felt safest, where she felt at peace. Perhaps it was her fear of loving someone who truly loved her back that kept her from knowing the difference.

Kisara cut the kiss short by pulling away.

"I'm sorry."

"For what?" Seto asked.

"For last night. I spent most of it crying… I'm not sure where it came from. All you wanted to do was ask questions, not stay up all night comforting me."

Seto placed his hand on Kisara's shoulder.

"You don't have to apologize. If anything, I should be apologizing to you. I didn't mean to upset you and you never have to feel bad about getting upset," Seto reassured her. "You've been through a lot and I appreciate you opening up to me about it. I want you to feel like you can talk to me about anything… just like how I feel about talking to you." Kisara was baffled. Six months ago, neither of them would've ever come close to a conversation like this, where they felt like they could be open and honest with each other. It was strange how the simple notion of love seemed to change the playing field completely. Before she could respond, the bedroom door opened and they were greeted by Mokuba.

"There you are, Nii-sama! I've been looking all over for you," Mokuba exclaimed, leaping onto the bed. He quickly climbed up from the foot of the bed and sat between the two love birds. "I had to come say 'Happy birthday!' to the best big brother in the whole wide world the minute I woke up." Mokuba ruffled Seto's hair furiously, giggling at their roles being reversed. Seto laughed and then sat up along with Kisara.

"Sorry, kiddo. I know I'm usually up earlier with breakfast ready but I somehow slept in instead. If you're hungry, I can cook breakfast now." Seto was about to get off the bed but was stopped by Mokuba's quizzical look.

"Hold on, did you just say you _slept in_?" Seto stared back at him, even more confused than Mokuba.

"Yeah…? Why?"

"Are you joking right now? You, who never sleeps, were able to sleep in?" Mokuba twisted around to look at Kisara next. "Did you have something to do with this?" Kisara raised her eyebrows. Mokuba's tone was so serious it almost sounded as if he were accusing her of doing something wrong. She tried not to think of it that way; knowing Mokuba, that probably wasn't his intention.

"According to your brother, I did," Kisara said. "Seto says I help him sleep. I don't believe him, but I did think it was a cute thing to say." A laugh followed the statement, trying to make light of the intimate conversation she and Seto had earlier. She didn't really feel comfortable acknowledging how intense their conversation was—nor did she feel comfortable acknowledging how serious Seto was about her. It scared her to think of how much he cared for her.

"I believe him," Mokuba stated. "Nii-sama has a hard time sleeping. He has for as long as I've known him and there's never once been a day where he's slept in. If having you around makes Seto sleep better, maybe you should just move in! You don't have anywhere else to live, right? So why not?" Kisara's eyes widened. Her chest suddenly tighten and her breath stopped for a moment. The mere thought of moving in with Seto horrified her, but she didn't want Mokuba to know that.

"I should probably go brush my teeth," Kisara responded, getting up from the bed and walking into the bathroom. Mokuba turned to Seto, looking for answers.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No… but you do realize you have to ask me before you invite people to live in our house, right? After all, I'm the big brother and what I say goes." Seto said, "And I say we should get started on making breakfast."

* * *

"Nii-sama, is it time to open your presents yet?" Mokuba asked, a sparkle of wonder in his eyes. The three of them had just finished dinner and the younger Kaiba was eager to celebrate Seto's birthday. Hours had passed since that morning's conversation and little had occurred since. Seto expressed a desire early on not to make a big deal about his birthday. He only felt the need to acknowledge the day of his birth because his brother cared about it. Not that Kisara needed much convincing of this… she was just happy that, unlike his birthday last year, Seto actually seemed to be enjoying himself.

"Alright, alright. We can open presents now. I'll be down here while you get it." Mokuba's face immediately lit up right before he jumped to his feet.

"Okay! Be right back!" Mokuba shouted, bounding up the stairs and disappearing down the hall. Seto turned to Kisara and saw that she had produced a large envelope addressed to him. He looked more bewildered than pleased to see that Kisara had a gift for him.

"That's… not a gift, is it?" Seto asked, seeming as though he didn't know what to say, "You really didn't have to get me anything; I know money's tight on your end. Having you here is enough." Kisara shook her head and took the seat across from him at the table. She slid the envelope over to his hands.

"No money was spent, only time and effort. I know it's not much and I know you're not the type that likes a lot of artsy stuff, but it was what I could do. I hope you like it." Seto took the envelope into his hands and looked back up at Kisara.

"I'm sure I'll love it, whatever it may be."

"Hey, you guys didn't start without me, did you?" Mokuba ran back into the dining room, a wrapped gift of his own in hand. Seto shook his head.

"Of course not. Take a seat." Mokuba took the seat next to Seto and placed his gift on the table. "Do you guys have a preference for which one I open?" Mokuba pointed to the envelope in Seto's hands.

"I want you to open Kisara's gift first!" Seto looked to Kisara to make note of her preference.

"I don't mind either way." Seto then took up the envelope and began to open it with careful precision. Kisara waited patiently as he pulled out a large piece of paper. Mokuba scooted over to the side to get a glimpse at what was printed on it while Kisara's eyes were fixed on Seto's. She watched his every movement; the delicate fingers as they held up the paper, the dilation of his pupils, and the smile that crept onto his face.

"Wow! Did you draw this, Kisara?" Mokuba asked as Seto set down the paper and revealed an elaborate drawing of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. The illustration had been done with pencil first, but then traced over with pen. The dragon appeared as though it were flying through the sky with each indentation on its body included. There was no color on the paper, save for the dark blue that had been colored in for the eyes. The shade of blue was identical to that of Seto's eyes.

"I did. Do you like it?" Kisara asked. "I'm not much of an artist and I know you're not much of an art collector, but I know how much that card means to you so I figured, if you ever were an art person, this is what you would want to have."

"I love it," Seto said. "I can tell you really took your time on this and it shows. The detail is outstanding." As happy as Kisara was to hear the compliment, she was more relieved that it made for an adequate gift. Seto was a hard man to read, but there were a few things she knew for sure: his love for his brother, his love for his company, and his love for the Blue-Eyes White Dragon. Mokuba began bouncing up and down.

"My turn! My turn! My turn!" Seto delicately placed Kisara's drawing down before picking up the wrapped gift Mokuba had placed in front of him. With the same precision, he began stripping the gift of its wrapping paper. A small photo album was what laid inside. Seto turned to Mokuba with curiosity.

"A photo album?" Mokuba nodded.

"Look inside." Seto opened it and was dumbstruck by what he saw inside. He held the photo album closer to his face to observe the photo below.

"How did you…?" Seto turned to Mokuba, not sure what to say. Kisara remained silent, unsure whether she was allowed to ask what was going on or not. From where she was seated, she couldn't see what the photo revealed.

"Now, Nii-sama… I don't want you to be angry but I did contact our uncle to get a hold of these photos." Seto's face contorted with some sort of mix of perplexity and anger as Mokuba continued, "I know you don't want me talking to them but I swear it was only for this one time. I just wanted to do something special for you and I couldn't find these pictures anywhere else." Seto put the photo album down and sighed. He needed a couple seconds to assess how he would respond. Kisara took the opportunity to snag the photo album and see what was inside.

The first picture shown was of a young, five year old Seto… standing in a hospital room. Beside him was a man who looked almost identical to Seto, only thirty years older. His hand was placed on Seto's shoulder, his face pointed down. In Seto's arms was a newly born Mokuba, wrapped in a towel and screaming at the top of his lungs. On the other side of Seto was a hospital bed containing a woman who was also staring gingerly at the infant. Mokuba was clearly the beholder of everyone's attention in the photo, but Kisara couldn't help but stare at Seto's mother.

Her messy, black hair nearly covered the entire pillow that rested beneath her head while her body lay limp on the bed that contained her. The color of her skin didn't help the way she looked either, as it was a much paler shade than everyone else's. It was her eyes, however, that truly caught Kisara's attention. There was a twinkle in them, although small, that seemed to bring life to the photo. The way she was looking at her sons showed the limitless love she felt for them, even in her weakened state.

"My mother began experiencing complications minutes after that photo was taken," Seto stated coolly, drawing Kisara's eyes away from the photo in her hands, "She died within the hour. That remains to be the only photo ever taken of my whole family." Kisara closed the photo album out of respect.

"I'm so sorry."

"Don't be. What happened, happened. It's no one's fault that it did." His voice was hard and detached… almost like Seto didn't feel anything describing his mother's last moments of life. He also seemed distracted, focused on something else. Seto turned back to Mokuba, ready to address the real issue he had, while Mokuba snatched the photo album up from the table. He opened it up and began flipping through the pages.

"There are more photos in here, too. Pictures of us when we were kids… and some from when you were a baby, Nii-sama." Mokuba held up the photo album to Seto, hoping to lighten the mood. The air had become thick with tension and Mokuba was sure he knew why. Seto took up the photo album and closed it, placing it onto the table once more.

"You know my feelings about our family. Why would you contact them without my permission, without even telling me?"

"I wanted to surprise you with a good gift this year and I knew you wouldn't let me do it if I told you." With each word Mokuba said, Seto became angrier. Not so much in how he looked, but in his eyes. Seto's glare was cutting razors into Mokuba's soul. On a much deeper level, what Mokuba had done was an act of betrayal, and the boy became frightened the more furious Seto got. "I'm sorry, Nii-sama. I didn't mean to upset you. I made it clear to our uncle that I would never speak to him again. I just did it this one time, promise!"

Seto was quick to open his mouth to reply, but no words came out. The words were there, but rationality swooped in and stopped him. All at once, a stern, cold look overshadowed his face. Within seconds, the energy in the room shifted and Seto looked like a different person altogether. He turned away from both Mokuba and Kisara.

"I've got to go," was Seto's retort. "There's work to be done. I'll be in my office if anyone needs me." With that, he left the room. Kisara was dumbfounded—she had never seen Seto dismiss Mokuba like that. It was only when she looked Mokuba's way, that he ran out of the room as well. To do what, she wasn't sure, but it was clear he was upset. Kisara didn't know what to make of what just happened but she wasn't about to involve herself without being asked.

Instead, she opted to sit at the empty table… waiting, watching, and wondering. The Kaiba Mansion remained unnaturally quiet until the late hours of nightfall. She neither saw nor spoke to either Kaiba brother before she went to bed. She figured it was probably better that way. Whatever they were going through, she couldn't help them. She only hoped that by morning, all would be resolved.

* * *

**A/N:** _Hello fanfiction fans and friends! HiKari here with an update which is unfortunately nine days later than I promised in my last chapter. The reasoning? This chapter was difficult. There are some events in my story that have been in the works since before I even began putting this story on paper and there are others that come to me in the moment. This whole birthday weekend event is one of those that came to me in the moment. As a result, I haven't had as much time to plot out what I want to happen and how it ties into everything else I have planned. Apologies all around for that and I do plan on posting the next chapter on the 14th of next month, as I promised at the beginning of the year. Another thing I would like to say is thank you! My story broke 200 reviews shortly after the last chapter was posted and I've gotten a ton more follows and favorites since. I can't thank you guys enough, both new and old readers, for supporting me. It's been a delight to share my story with you and, in turn, receive your feedback. My only hope is that my story continues to get better and better with each chapter. So thanks again and see you guys in a month (for real this time)!_


	33. XXXIII

"_Memories fade,_

_Like looking through a fogged mirror._

_Decisions to decisions are made and not bought,_

_But I thought this wouldn't hurt a lot,_

_I guess not."_

Kids by MGMT

**XXXIII**

What finally stopped Seto from his never ending typing was a bright, orange light that seeped through the shades, blinding him and forcing him to break his focus from the screen. Seto flinched from the glaring sunrise and looked down at his watch. He couldn't believe that it was already 7:30am. The last time he had looked away from his computer or even talked to another person was twelve hours earlier, when he was celebrating his birthday.

Seto rubbed his temples, trying to distract himself from the dryness in his eyes and the grueling headache that was pounding in his head. He had thrown himself so deeply into his work for so long that he had barely even noticed the headache was there in the first place. He began to wonder how long his head had been pounding like this when he heard knocking on his office door.

Seto twisted his chair around to see who it was that wished to enter his fortress.

"Hello?" The door creaked open and revealed Kisara standing on the other side.

"Hey Seto." Seto opened his mouth but was faced with the dilemma of not knowing what to say. Was he expected to explain himself? Apologize for his behavior? Tell her to kindly excuse herself from the room because he hadn't slept in over 24 hours? He didn't know what to do or what to say, but thankfully Kisara was the one to speak up before he felt too pressured to say anything at all. "I just thought you should know there's someone waiting outside here for you." Kisara's eyes glanced over to the other side of the cracked door.

Out of curiosity, Seto rose from his seat and walked over to the doorway. Although he nearly fell over at first, considering his legs had fallen asleep without his knowledge, Seto was able to catch himself before Kisara noticed his lack of balance. He got up and slowly walked over to see what it was that her eyes were locked onto so intensely. When he reached the doorway, he found Mokuba sleeping, curled up and leaning against the wall.

"How long has he been lying here?" Seto whispered, his eyes never leaving Mokuba. The mere sight of his brother like this made his insides twist and turn with guilt. He knew this had everything to do with what had happened the night before. Seto couldn't imagine how awful he must've made Mokuba feel. He assumed Mokuba had fallen asleep waiting for him to leave the room with the hope of talking things out.

"I'm not sure. I've been up for a while packing up my stuff, but I only just now left my room to come find you. That's when I saw Mokuba here." Seto reached down and gently scooped up his brother from the ground. When he did, the boy stirred for just a moment, but then went limp again once in his brother's arms. He buried his face into Seto's chest, letting his body be carried down the hall to his room.

"Nii-sama," Mokuba muttered once he heard the opening of his bedroom door, "I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Mokuba," Seto said, after gingerly placing the boy in his bed and pulling the covers over him. Seto pushed away the bangs in Mokuba's face before giving him a kiss on the forehead. Mokuba rolled onto his side when he felt Seto pull away, curling up into the same ball he was in before and letting his head sink into the pillow. His ears followed Seto's every footstep as they headed towards the door.

"Nii-sama…" Mokuba murmured, just before Seto was out of the room, "I love you." Seto's hand froze on the knob and his head turned back to look at his little brother.

"I love you, too." Seto slowly closed the door until he heard a soft click. When he did, he turned around and saw Kisara standing at the end of the hall. Seto shrugged and motioned for Kisara to follow him down the steps that led to the kitchen. Kisara obliged, and followed the same path to the kitchen without any questions. Once in the kitchen, she saw Seto turn on the coffee machine.

"Coffee?" Kisara nodded. Seto placed both his hands on the counter and let his head hang for a moment. Kisara remained silent, continuing to watch him. She had seen him exhausted and running on very little sleep before, but never like this. He seemed completely worn down in a way that wasn't only physical. As if there were something internally bothering him, something he was still trying to figure out in his head.

Kisara was suddenly snapped out of her ponderings when Seto turned off the coffee maker.

"Let's go somewhere to get coffee. I need to get out of this house for a bit." Kisara didn't question Seto. She didn't want to upset or disturb him in any way. Instead, the only question she asked was where he wanted to go and if they were going to the train station afterwards.

* * *

Every minute of silence that went by between them forced Kisara to have another sip of her coffee. Seto sat across from her, but for the past fifteen minutes, he hadn't said a word outside of, "Is black okay?" Black coffee wasn't her preference, but she didn't feel comfortable saying anything other than 'yes' when Seto asked. She had a feeling the way he was acting and his exhaustion was a direct result of last night which she didn't feel she was at liberty to ask about. It was between him and his brother. What right did Kisara have to inquire?

Seto had decided to kill two birds with one stone by going to the train station early and having coffee there. Kisara was thankful for the setting because at least there was noise surrounding her to distract from the silence between them. The hustle and bustle of the Domino City train station was enough to calm her down. Watching people rush all around made her feel as though she could pretend, for just a moment, that their relationship wasn't as serious as it had become. A year ago on Seto's birthday, Kisara was nothing more than his assistant. Twenty-four hours ago, she saw the last picture taken of Seto's family before his mother died.

No, Kisara didn't feel she was at liberty to ask about Seto's issues with his brother. She didn't even feel it was right to have witnessed what had happened last night at all. She was seeing a side of him that no one in the world had claimed to have ever seen, save for his brother, and yet here she was, having coffee with him the day after. The past weekend made it clear that their relationship had moved to a more intense level, but it was one she felt she wasn't ready for; one she thought she didn't deserve to be on with him.

"The weather is nice out today, isn't it?" Seto directed his attention away from the window and over to her. They had been sitting across from each other for a little over fifteen minutes by then. She thought maybe breaking the silence would make him feel better. Seto sighed, placing his coffee down on the table between them before their eyes met again.

"It appears as though I'm the one who must apologize this time," Seto began, "I'm not one who is fond of apologies but I make them when they're due. My behavior last night was unacceptable and I'm sorry you had to witness it." Kisara straightened in her seat. That was… unexpected. Then again, Seto was always more fond of shooting the elephant in the room than tip toeing around it.

"It's okay, although I'm not sure I'm the one you should be apologizing to. Mokuba seemed to take it the hardest," Kisara replied and she noted the way Seto shifted in his seat when Mokuba's name was mentioned. He crossed his arms and turned back towards the window, staring at the vast world that remained outside—separate from the emotions going on within himself. Kisara continued, "We don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

"No, I want to talk about it," Seto said, turning back once more, determination in his voice, "Mokuba is the reason why I left so abruptly last night. I was worried that my frustration with the situation would be misplaced onto him if I stuck around too long. I'm sure he interpreted it the other way around and I will apologize to him later for it."

"Don't worry, he'll forgive you," Kisara assured him, flashing a quick smile his way. The smile was neither received nor reciprocated on Seto's end. His mind was too distracted.

"I'm sure he will, but that's not what I'm worried about."

"Well, what are you worried about?" Seto looked up. A long pause disrupted their conversation. Then he took a deep breath.

"When I disowned my family after our parents died, I told myself and Mokuba that it was for the best. After being sent to the orphanage, I promised my brother a new life for him and to forget there was a family outside of ourselves. I told him that disowning our family would make it easier for us to achieve that dream of having a new life.

"And that was true… mostly. The family members who were only interested in my parents' inheritance didn't deserve to be in our lives… but not all of them fell into that category. The truth is, there were some who wanted to take care of us but I refused. I felt as though cutting off my family would help me distance myself from the death of our parents."

"But you were so young, though," Kisara said, leaning forward, "How did you know that was the right decision? Weren't you scared?"

"I was young, yes, but fear never came into the equation," Seto replied, a stern look on his face, "There was no time for it. Mokuba was even younger than I and I felt it was my responsibility to take care of him. I knew the right decision was to separate from the people that only served as reminders of what we had lost."

"And you didn't want their sympathy," Kisara stated. "You thought if you were adopted by a family that didn't know you or your story, that you would be taken seriously. You wanted to start over, but you couldn't do that with a family that knew your past, right?"

"That's correct. I was determined to give my brother the life he deserved and I knew the only way to do that was by never looking back. That's why I embrace the name Kaiba so much. Despite my complete and utter hatred for my step father, the day Gozaburo adopted us became the first day of our new life—the promise I made to Mokuba.

"I had no desire to look back. I loved my parents, but my love for them will always remain just that… in the past. The fact of the matter is that my parents died, and as tragic as it was, there's absolutely nothing I could do to change that situation except move forward and make something of myself. What came with that mindset was an expectation that Mokuba would do the same."

"You think Mokuba feels differently?"

"That's the problem, I don't know. I've never once regretted cutting my family out of my life but I've never asked whether Mokuba feels the same way. I can't help but worry he thinks I've taken him away from having a family and perhaps I have. But I couldn't…" Seto looked away and something changed in his demeanor. Suddenly he seemed nervous, unsure whether to continue telling his story. It was as if all the puzzle pieces of his life fit together perfectly except for one. "I couldn't risk it."

"Risk what?" When their eyes made contact again, Kisara saw a side of Seto she had never seen before. With a slight tremble on his lips and a furrow of his brow, the ice surrounding his heart had melted. She saw a scared, ten year old boy—one that Seto had assumed had long since died the same day his last parent was buried. Yet, there he was, a ten year old Seto, full of fear he had never allowed himself to feel until this very moment. A fear that came from doubting his own decision.

"Risk having Mokuba see anyone else as his family. To me, Mokuba is the only family I've ever needed or wanted, and I don't know if he feels the same. I've tried my hardest to be the best parent and sibling to him, but I've never known if it was enough. I've never known if _I_ was enough." Kisara had never seen weakness in Seto. Everything that went into making Seto the man he was made him seem absolutely indestructible, except when it came to his younger brother. Not knowing whether he had given his brother what he had promised to give instead of taking away the one thing he wanted made Seto unsure of himself. It broke her heart to see Seto like this, but it also made her speechless. She didn't know what to say but she knew she had to try.

"I'm sorry that you feel this way," Kisara began, reaching her hand over and placing it on his. "But I've never known you to be a man that lives with regret. I can't speak for Mokuba and his feelings, but I can say this: he will always love you. And he knows that every decision you've made has been a result of your love for him. Whether the decisions were right or wrong won't change how that boy looks at you; like you're the best person he's ever known."

When their eyes met a final time, Seto saw exactly what Kisara meant. The way she was looking at him was identical to the way Mokuba looked up to him; with admiration, with affirmation, and with affection. She made him feel as though, even the possibility of having made a mistake, nothing could change how he was seen in both her and Mokuba's eyes. For the first time in their relationship, Seto really believed Kisara was truly in love with him.

"All aboard the next train leaving for Hiroshima," rang a voice overhead. Kisara jumped to her feet. She had been so distracted by their conversation that she had completely forgotten what time it was. She gathered up her things in her hand as Seto rose to his feet and checked to make sure she had everything.

"Sorry to end this so abruptly but we can talk more when I'm back on campus," Kisara said, rushing over and kissing Seto on the cheek. "My only other suggestion would be to just talk to Mokuba. I'm sure you'll get the answer you need to hear. Goodbye!" With that, she ran off just as Seto's arms had opened to give her a hug. He wasn't too upset, though—it was Kisara's style; to always run off in a hurry. He waited until she exited onto the platform and soon onto the train before returning to his car. Kisara was right—all he needed to do was ask to get the answer he needed.

* * *

Upon Seto's return, he was surprised to find Mokuba seated at the table, eating cereal. Mokuba looked up from the bowl below when Seto entered the dining room, placing his spoon down. "I thought you were going to be asleep for a bit longer. Had I known, I would've come back sooner," Seto said, setting the car keys down on the table. Mokuba's eyes were unmoved from Seto's face.

"Where's Kisara?"

"I just came back from dropping her off at the train station. She's on her way home… or, well, her dorm." Mokuba's face lightened a bit with a small smile. That microsecond of approval made Seto feel better. His brother's smile always had that effect on him.

"Are you really not going to ask her to move in with us?" Seto took a seat across from Mokuba, folding his hands on the table.

"I'm not ready for that yet. We haven't even been dating for a year so I think we need a little more time before that happens." Seto smirked, "Besides, do you really want a girl living with us? It's only ever been you and me living here… and occasionally Isono. Having a girl here won't be as fun as you think."

"I don't think it'll be fun, I just think… it'll be less lonely." Mokuba shrugged, "We live in this big house by ourselves and the only time it doesn't feel empty is when Kisara is here. It feels like a real home when she's around." Seto's smirk immediately disappeared. Guilt replaced his initial playfulness.

"I know… and for that I apologize, in addition to what happened last night." Mokuba rose from the table, placing his hand on his chest in an apologetic fashion.

"You don't have to apologize, I do. I shouldn't have talked to our uncle without telling you."

"No, it was all my fault in the first place. I made a decision years ago to cut our family out of our lives. I never asked you what you wanted or how you felt because I wanted to protect you. I thought it was the right decision but in reality, it shouldn't have been my decision to make." Mokuba walked over to Seto's side and placed a hand on his shoulder. Seto looked up to meet his brother's gaze.

"It's okay, Nii-sama. You're all the family I've ever needed. I didn't reach out to our uncle because I wanted to reconnect with him, it was only to get this." Mokuba pulled out the photo album and placed it onto the table in front of Seto. "You never talk about Mom and Dad, and you don't have any pictures of them. You act as if they don't exist when you knew them better than I ever will." Seto remained completely still as he watched Mokuba open the photo album, revealing the pictures of the past he had refused to look at the night before.

"I know you don't do it on purpose and you see no reason to dwell on the past, but…" Mokuba paused. Seto didn't know whether it was because he was trying to find the right words to say or whether he already knew what he wanted to say, he just didn't want to hurt Seto by saying them. "I just don't want to forget, you know? They're our parents and they didn't live for very long in our lives, but we wouldn't be here without them."

A droplet fell onto the table and Seto looked up. Tears were streaming down Mokuba's face. It had been years since the last time Seto had seen Mokuba cry, but his reaction was the same as it had always been. Seto brought Mokuba into his arms and held him. Even after all of these years, he thought there weren't any more tears left to cry. Seeing Mokuba like this proved him wrong and also made him realize maybe there wouldn't be a day where their parents' death wouldn't bring tears. Maybe it was something Mokuba would never get over and maybe one day, Seto would realize that was okay. For now, he held his brother in his arms and promised him it would be alright.

One day, it would be okay.

* * *

**A/N:** _It's a bird, it's a plane, it's an early update! What?! But it's not possible! Nobody's ever been able to summon him! Okay, I'll stop with the references. As you can see, I'm pretty excited to get this update to you not on time but, in fact, earlier than I promise. Yay! I have to thank my lovely friend, Caroline, whom has been beta reading for the last three chapters or so and has been giving me great feedback. Not sure if anyone has noticed, but I've definitely noticed an improvement in my writing, and that's really all thanks to Caroline—widening my mind and telling me like it is. She's awesome; both as a person and a writer! Someday you guys should really read her stuff. Now, I know what you guys are all thinking: "Kari, if you got us this update early, does that mean we can finally start to expect updates to happen on time like you've been promising since January?" The truth is, I'm not sure… at least in terms of next month. In May, my Italian family is going to be staying with me for two weeks. The last time they were in the States was over ten years ago so I'm not sure how much time I'll really be able/wanting to dedicate to writing. That being said, I still plan on updating this story next month, I just wanted to let you guys know ahead of time that it'll probably be up closer to the end of the month than the middle like I've been striving for. Sorry! If you're looking for more accurate updates on when to expect the next chapter, feel free to check my Twitter account. When I'm not tweeting about silly things, I do post updates about my progress with the next chapter. Alright, I better end this note now before it gets any longer. As always, thanks for reading, reviewing, and being generally awesome! I'll talk to you guys (some time) next month!_


	34. XXXIV

"_Don't close your eyes,_

_Don't close your eyes._

_This is your life and today is all you've got now._

_Yeah, and today is all you'll ever have."_

This Is Your Life by Switchfoot

**XXXIV**

_Tick tock._ The clock ticked away with little to no regard to the meeting going on in the Kaiba Corp. conference room. In a way, Seto was jealous of the clock that hung on the wall opposite to where he was seated. The clock was expected to do only one job and that was to keep track of time, nothing else. Seto, on the other hand, was the CEO of the very company that was holding the meeting. While that was only one job, it had many expectations. One of which included sitting in mandatory business meetings that he had little interest in.

"…Does that seem right to you, Mister Kaiba?" Seto's eyebrows were raised when he realized everyone in the room was staring at him.

"Come again?" He responded in a very collected manner.

"Do these numbers seem correct, Sir?" Another man asked, the one who was standing in front of the room, just below the clock, with a bar chart illuminated on the wall behind him. Seto nodded.

"Sure." The room remained frozen, several pairs of eyes watching his every move. They looked as if they almost didn't believe him. "Carry on," Seto stated with a hint of annoyance. The meeting then picked up where it left off, and his mind got carried away once again… his eyes always watching the clock. Why did time only seem to move slow when he wanted it to go fast?

There had been a time not too long ago when he didn't mind the occasional Saturday corporate meeting. Seto had tried to schedule this particular meeting earlier in the week, but Saturday ended up being the only day all of the department heads could get together to discuss the status of the company. His company. The only problem with the Saturday meeting this time around was that it inhibited him from seeing Kisara.

Maintaining a long-distance relationship had been tricky. The only time Seto and Kisara could see each other was on the weekends, when she didn't have classes and could take a break from doing homework. Missing one Saturday meant that he would have to go two weeks without seeing Kisara instead of one. As troubling as that was, Seto took comfort in knowing their relationship wouldn't be long-distance for much longer. November was quickly coming to a close, which meant that Kisara would be finishing her first, and possibly only, semester of business school soon.

Kisara had mentioned a couple weeks back that she lacked the funds she needed to attend another semester. There had been a hint of sadness in her voice when she mentioned it one Friday evening while the two of them were walking across the quad, holding hands. Seto closed his eyes for a moment, remembering the way Kisara's hair swished in the wind as she walked beside him and the softness of her silk-like skin in his hand. He remembered the way she turned to him and how captivated he was with her wide and bright blue eyes that were trying desperately to hide the sadness within.

"…I know I haven't been going to this school for very long and that most of the people I've met so far have only ever been interested in getting drunk or doing drugs, but… I really do feel like Yokohama is home to me. In some ways, at least."

"Yeah?" Seto gave Kisara's hand a little squeeze, "And what about Domino City? Is that no longer home to you?"

"Of course it is," Kisara replied, "It's a different home, though. It's like… Domino City is home whenever I think of you and Mokuba. Yokohama is my home when I think of my education or future."

"Are Mokuba and I not part of your future?" Kisara slipped her hand out of Seto's and stopped walking. Seto stopped and turned around. Her face distorted with a look of worry.

"No, it's not like that. It's like… the future I always envisioned for myself, you know? I feel like there are two kinds of futures. The one you plan for yourself and then the one that life has planned for you. The one that life plans for you is the kind of future that you accept you can't know about until it happens."

"Sometimes those two kinds of futures can intertwine. When I promised a new life for myself and my brother, I didn't know what kind of life it would be except that I knew I wanted to be able to give Mokuba everything. The day I saw Gozaburo on the news was when I knew I could execute my plan by intertwining myself with Kaiba Corp."

"You hadn't always planned on running a gaming company?"

"Kaiba Corp. wasn't even a gaming company at that point, but I knew that I could make it exactly what I needed it to be when the time came," Seto said. "I just hope you can envision us in your future too." Kisara opened her mouth to answer but all that came out was, "Mr. Kaiba? Mr. Kaiba, are you okay?"

Seto's eyes shot open and that was when he noticed that everyone in the room was staring at him. He didn't know how long everyone had been staring nor did he know how long he had been daydreaming about Kisara. Seto was about to say something when someone else stepped in and spoke for him.

"Let's take a break. I'm sure Master Kaiba is very exhausted, as he always is, from keeping this company in check. Is everyone okay with regrouping in fifteen minutes?" It was Isono whom was stepping in and redirecting everyone's attention. No one objected to the proposal of a break and soon all of the executives exited the conference room, leaving Seto and Isono to be the ones who remained.

"Thanks for covering for me," Seto said, getting up from his seat to do a bit of stretching.

"Not a problem," Isono responded. "I had a feeling I would need to step in at some point. You've been out of it since the meeting began. Have you been feeling alright?"

"I feel fine. I think I'm just tired, that's all. I didn't get a lot of sleep last night." Seto walked over to the window and did some more stretches, facing away from Isono. He didn't want to have to explain what was going on. Seto was sure Isono wouldn't understand. Or perhaps he just didn't want Isono to understand.

"Master Kaiba, I don't wish to appear adversarial, but you never get enough sleep. However, that's never interfered with your ability to properly run a meeting." Seto sighed. As cold and convoluted as Seto made himself appear, working with Isono for so many years made him incredibly knowledgeable. Isono knew Seto like the sun knew the moon. Both celestial bodies kept their distances from one another and in a lot of ways considered opposites, yet they know—almost inherently—when one was to rise and the other fall. It was a fact that neither Seto nor Isono would ever admit. It was also a fact that would only make itself known in situations like these.

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Seto said, "There are other things on my mind today that have been keeping me from being able to focus."

"When you say 'other things,' do you mean Miss Safiya?"

"What makes you say that?"

"I would know if it had something to do with Master Mokuba. He has a tendency to call me whenever you and him are having… issues." Seto felt a tinge of annoyance and the urge to be appalled that Mokuba would ever communicate with anyone about their familial problems. As soon as the urge came, however, it just as quickly disappeared. Seto knew he couldn't be mad at his brother for feeling the desire to talk to Isono about their issues from time to time—Isono was the closest thing either of the Kaiba brothers had to a true friend.

"What does it matter what's on my mind? Are you suggesting I'm not fit to run today's meeting?" Seto asked, twisting around and eying Isono, almost inviting him to instigate a fight with him. Isono showed no reaction to Seto raising his voice. No part of him was scared of Seto, and he wasn't sure he ever would feel scared. Instead, he put his hands together and bowed to show his obedience.

"If that's how you feel, Master Kaiba, I can retrieve the department heads for you and we can begin the meeting again." Isono turned and walked out of the conference room. Seto shrugged and returned to his seat at the other end of the table. He laid back in his chair as his eyes wandered back onto the wall, finding the time once more. It was only midday but the meeting still had a couple more hours before it would end.

Seto paid no attention to the employees that walked back into the room nor the presentation as it continued where it left off. All he could think about was Kisara and the conversation they had last time they were together; about the two types of futures. He never did get a sense of how she felt about their relationship. Was their relationship one she saw continuing in the future? Did the future she planned and the one they would make together intertwine at all? These were all questions he sought to answer, and mulled them over and over again in his head until…

"…Nii-sama? Nii-sama, are you even listening to me?" Seto heard the words, but the noise didn't register in his mind. It took a good shaking of his shoulders to wake him up from his daze and remember where he was. The person that stood opposite to him was his brother, and the setting he appeared to be sitting in was his home office. Seto didn't remember driving home from Kaiba Corp., much less what Mokuba had just asked him.

"What?" was all Seto could think to say. Mokuba took a couple steps back and stared at him.

"I asked if you were listening to me. I was telling you about my day but it looked like you were somewhere else. Not to mention that you've been acting really weird ever since you got back from the office. Did something happen at the meeting?" It took Seto a couple moments to even recall what meeting Mokuba was referring to before he spoke.

"The meeting was fine. Nothing happened. The only thing that did happen was the fact that it happened." Mokuba walked over and shut the laptop in front of Seto before sitting on his desk.

"Well, can you tell me what's really going on or do I have to guess? There's really no point in pretending. I know when there's something wrong," Mokuba smirked. He was the only person besides Isono that really knew Seto. Unlike Isono, his desire to get Seto to talk wasn't held back by the boundaries of a work relationship. No, he was Seto's younger brother, and he took pleasure in being the one person Seto couldn't lie to.

"I better go," Seto replied, rising from his seat and walking out of the room. A surprised Mokuba jumped off of the desk and quickly followed.

"Wait, what? Where are you going?" Mokuba followed Seto down the steps over to the front door. Seto paused to slip on his shoes before opening the door. Mokuba placed his hand on Seto's as it was about to turn the knob. Seto turned to meet Mokuba's gaze. Seto saw that the smirk had disappeared. Instead, a look of fear locked eyes with him before the boy said, "You're starting to freak me out. Why won't you talk to me?"

Seto took his hands and reassured him that there was nothing wrong. Despite Mokuba knowing Seto extremely well, Seto would always be the oldest. It was his job to know when it was appropriate to tell his younger brother what was really going on. Sometimes being the youngest brother meant that there were certain things Seto needed to figure out on his own. He hoped Mokuba understood that when he told his brother he was going on a walk and that he'd be back in an hour. Mokuba said nothing in return, perhaps accepting there was nothing that could make Seto speak.

Wandering along the edge of the Kaiba estate, Seto found himself with too many thoughts to comprehend and all of them pertained to Kisara. As he walked along the pathway that led to the garden trying to make sense of his thoughts, he felt his arm lightly brush against some roses that lined the walkway. The pedals of the roses were soft against his skin, but the sensation disappeared when he took his next step, never lasting more than a few seconds. Seto felt Kisara treated him the same way—she was only close to him for a few moments until they took the next step in their relationship and then it was gone. The closer he got, the farther Kisara seemed to be from him.

Although Seto was not without his own reservations. Kisara hadn't said that she loved him since the night of Mahad's appearance at her dorm nor had the topic of love ever been talked about since. He knew that loving Kisara was risky business and that there was a chance she may never love him the way he loved her. But what choice did he have? He was far too involved now to be able to pull back and protect himself. The walls had been broken and his heart exposed. Was running really an option anymore?

There was a fear of losing Kisara that made Seto want to keep his distance. Over the course of his life, he had managed to lose his family, his home, and his childhood. How he could he be sure that Kisara wasn't just another thing waiting for him to lose? Seto sat down on a small bench overlooking the garden and saw that the sun was beginning its journey towards the horizon. The sky had begun to turn a whole range of colors and there were no clouds in the sky to distort the image.

Staring at the scenery, Seto realized that maybe there was no way of knowing what was to come in the future and that maybe that was okay. What kind of life would he be living if he couldn't be happy without being certain of that happiness? Maybe his love for Kisara should be the one thing in his life that he shouldn't fear. Maybe everything in his life had gone wrong only to lead him to the one thing that was right—Kisara. His love for her was real.

Perhaps that meant her love for him could be real too.

* * *

A typical Saturday night at Yokohama University usually lifted the spirits of any student on campus. Kisara noticed that this was not the case for most students as she passed them on her way back from the library. No person she passed seemed happy… nor well-rested. Although it was only November 22nd, finals were slowly creeping up and everyone felt the pressure, especially Kisara. She felt particularly stressed considering most of her classmates were talking about what classes they were going to take next semester, while she was more concerned with not knowing where she was going to live when school ended.

Upon returning to her dorm, Kisara slipped her phone out of her pocket to look at the time. It was 9pm, which meant that it was 2pm in Egypt. Today was Granny King's birthday so a call back home was in order. The only reason she hadn't called earlier was because she was afraid of what she would say if anyone were to ask her what her plans were for school. Kisara didn't want to worry her parents, much less her grandparents, about her financial issues. Considering they didn't have much ability to help out anyway, telling them about what was going on would only make them feel worse. Nevertheless, it was still Granny King's birthday and she had to call regardless.

Kisara dropped her backpack onto the floor before rolling onto her bed and calling home. Kisara waited as each ring passed, imagining that no one was home so perhaps she would be able to get out of talking to her family that day. Seconds after she considering hanging up before it went to voicemail, she heard her mother's voice on the other end of the phone.

"Hi sweetie!" Kisara's mother squealed.

"Hey Mom," Kisara said, smiling at the sound of her mother's chipper voice, "How are you?"

"I'm doing well. I know you're probably hoping to talk to Granny but unfortunately she just left to go on a walk."

"Oh, alright then. I guess I'll have to call back tomorrow or something. I actually have a lot of homework I have to do right now so I'll talk to you later…"

"Hold on, now. There is one person here who'd like to talk to you."

"Who? Dad?"

Her mother paused.

"Well, it's actually Mahad. He's been stopping by every once and a while to check up on us," Kisara's mother was rushing to finish her thoughts before being interrupted, "I know you probably don't want to talk to him, but he's been trying to contact you for a while now. Will you please just have one conversation with him since he's done so much for us?"

Kisara gaped. She didn't know what to say. Or rather, she did know what to say, but since her primary emotion was anger, she didn't want her mother to think it was directed towards her. The truth was talking to Mahad was the last thing she wanted to do, but because her mother insisted, she wasn't sure she could say no. Not to mention this was the first Kisara was hearing of Mahad's occasional act of kindness towards her family… it would look bad if she refused the request of a simple phone call.

"…Alright, put him on," Kisara grumbled after a long pause. She rose to her feet and started pacing back and forth as she heard the phone being shuffled between hands. Suddenly she felt completely sick to her stomach. The last time she and Mahad had spoken, it had ended with a fight. Not so much on her part, though if she hadn't been so shocked, she probably would've tried to sock him in the face herself. Still, how was she supposed to talk to someone who was helping her family who also happened to be the person that broke her heart? All she had to do was keep her cool…

"Hi." The minute Kisara heard Mahad's voice, 'cool' went right out the window.

"What are you doing at my house?"

"I needed a way to talk to you. I knew today was your grandmother's birthday and that you would call."

"So what you're telling me is that you've been stalking my house, for who knows how long, hoping to be there when I called?"

"You wouldn't talk to me otherwise. You've blocked my number and you won't answer any e-mails or messages I send you."

"Yeah, and most people would take a hint and get out of my life at that point."

"Well, I'm not most people." Kisara sighed. Was there no way of getting through to this guy? It had only been a minute and already she wanted to throw her phone against the wall.

"Just tell me what you want. I'm only doing this because my mother asked me to and, by the way, stop helping out my family. It's messed up that you would rope me in like that."

"I'm not roping you in. I care about you and your family. I don't see any harm in helping them out. It's not like they don't need the help either."

"You're only doing this so that you'll continue to be entangled in my life."

"I'm doing this because I love you."

"Don't say that," Kisara spat back.

"Why? Because you know it's true?"

"Because I don't love you anymore."

"Now you and I both know that isn't true."

"Yes, it is. You broke my heart, Mahad, and now I'm with someone else. Someone who treats me better than you ever did."

"Oh, please. Seto Kaiba is nothing more than a placeholder for me."

Kisara rolled her eyes. In the year and a half since they had broken up, it was clear Mahad hadn't changed a bit. Unfortunately for him, the case didn't remain the same for Kisara.

"It's good to know you're still an arrogant prick. Look, I don't want to continue having this conversation with you so it would be best if we just end it. Don't contact me again." Kisara lowered her phone to hang up.

"Wait, Kisara." She brought the phone back up to the side of her face.

"What?"

"Say it to me."

"Say what?"

"Say that you don't love me anymore. Say it to me right now."

"I don't have to say anything to you other than goodbye."

"Why can't you say it?"

"I don't need to. What's done is done. What we had doesn't exist anymore and what did exist shouldn't have in the first place. You weren't right for me."

"If you can't tell me you don't love me, can you at least tell me if you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Tell me you're in love with Seto and I promise never to bother you again. No phone calls, no texts, no e-mails… nothing. Just tell me the truth: are you in love with him?"

A pause.

"Kisara?"

Kisara hung up the phone and placed it in the drawer of her desk, where it would remain stowed away for the remainder of the night, along with the answers to Mahad's questions that she refused to answer. Finals were coming up and passing them was her only concern. Everything else was secondary.

* * *

**A/N:** _Finally DONE! Ugh, this chapter was such a pain in my rear. Even now, I'm not sure certain scenes were written to their full potential but I just had to commit myself to finishing it. It's been two months since my last update and I know I had hoped to update sometime in May, but like I said, this chapter was difficult. The difficulty of that, on top of all the life happenings that have been going on, made me fall behind in my schedule. However, now I'm hoping to get back to my regular once a month posting as promised at the beginning of the year. Aside from that, I want to thank all of you who have reviewed, favorite'd, and followed this story in my time of absence! Every time I received an e-mail concerning one of those three things, it gave me a boost of confidence to continue writing this story. Sometimes it gets hard to stick with a story you've been working on for so long but you guys remind me that this is a story worth writing and that I must see it through to the end! So thank you guys for that and of course, a thank you to my awesome beta reader, Caroline, as well. She's a great writer and an equally great friend. Until next time, have a great day!_


	35. XXXV

"_Oh, mirror in the sky, what is love?_

_Can the child within my heart rise above?_

_Can I sail through the changing ocean tides?_

_Can I handle the seasons of my life?"_

Landslide by Fleetwood Mac

**XXXV**

There were things that Mokuba Kaiba felt he knew for sure. One was that his brother loved Kisara, another was that Kisara loved him back. Mokuba believed nothing else could ever come into either of their lives to change that. Although he never found out what caused Seto to randomly go on a walk, that strange Saturday was nearly a month ago and the boy had long since forgotten its occurrence. Instead, he was more focused on today; Kisara's birthday. Just as Mokuba was the one who brought the two of them together, he also was the one who suggested that Seto drive down to pay Kisara a surprise visit.

"Kisara's going to be so excited when she sees you!" Mokuba exclaimed, bouncing around Seto while he was reluctantly trying to pack.

"You keep saying that but I think she's going to be too tired to celebrate. She has her communications final today and I think she was up the whole night before practicing for it." Seto stopped and turned to Mokuba, "Who would want to celebrate their birthday after an all-nighter?"

"Oh, Nii-sama, you think about these things too much! Girls love surprises, no matter how tired they are." Mokuba motioned for his brother to keep packing. Seto shrugged but then picked it up once more. Seto's resistance came from a fear that his appearance at her dorm would make Kisara feel imposed upon and after taking a final, and that was the last thing he wanted her to feel. Mokuba was persistent, nonetheless, that Seto go see her. The boy felt he knew best when it came to his older brother's relationship and who was Seto to say otherwise? Between the two brothers, Seto didn't feel he was much more knowledgeable than his younger counterpart. Thus, he usually followed through with Mokuba's suggestions.

"I guess. And this is her last final too so maybe she will be happy to see me."

"Of course she'll be happy to see you! That one is obvious," Mokuba said, sitting on a nearby computer chair and then proceeding to spin himself around for his own amusement. "What isn't obvious is why you won't let me come with you. After all, your gift was my idea. I should be able to see her reaction."

"Now, now. Don't go telling me you think I should see Kisara only to turn around and say it's not fair that you can't come. You're the one who thinks I should go and you're the one who should also know I won't be back until late if I do. It's a school night after all." Mokuba frowned but didn't say anything else. He did know better: Seto was easily swayed, but never when it came to matters of Mokuba's upbringing. That much Seto was sure about and there wasn't anything Mokuba could say otherwise.

It was quiet for a while. The only noise in the room was the sound of Seto's packing. Each item that went into the bag made Mokuba wonder what Kisara was doing right in that moment, three hours away. He wondered if she was too busy worrying about her last final to care that she was nineteen. Or perhaps she was wondering herself about what Seto was doing, suspecting that he might pay her a visit soon.

"I'm all set. Don't wait up for me, okay? If it's too late, I may just end up sleeping there and drive back tomorrow morning. Isono will remain here until my return." Mokuba ran into his brother's arms with a more affectionate hug than Seto was expecting. He looked down, "You all right, Mokuba? Do you not want me to go?" Mokuba shook his head.

"No… I just want you to have a good time," Mokuba looked up and met Seto's gaze, "Tell Kisara I said 'hi,' okay? And happy birthday."

"Of course," Seto smiled. "I'll let her know."

* * *

And there he was—on the other side of a very familiar door. The door to Kisara's dorm was closed, as it typically was every time he had come to visit. The halls were quieter than usual, probably because it was finals week. No one was around despite it only being 9pm. Seto was completely alone—only himself and the door remained in that moment.

That was until he knocked.

"Surprise!" Seto said when Kisara opened the door.

Kisara certainly was surprised when she saw him, but it was a different kind of surprised. As if the sight of him didn't bring joy or anything close to joy at all. Instead, she felt like she could collapse at any moment. She tried desperately to hide the fact that her entire body was shaking by crossing both her legs and her arms while standing in the doorway. It wasn't quite terror in her eyes, but somewhere between shocked and scared.

"Seto?" Kisara asked, the name sounded strangely unfamiliar in her mouth. "What are you doing here?"

"I thought it would be nice to surprise you for your birthday. Well, I really can't take all the credit since it was Mokuba's idea to surprise you. But let it be known that the desire to see you was all my own. I just wasn't sure how tired you'd be after finishing your final." There was an uncomfortable silence that followed, as if Seto's words were the only thing filling the miles that seemed to be between them. Kisara uncrossed her arms so she could take hold of the doorknob, as if holding onto it kept her from fleeing the very conversation they were having. Seto didn't understand what was wrong or why she was so afraid. He ignored the unnatural energy between them and leaned in for a kiss.

Seto's eyes opened when his lips were met with Kisara's hands.

"Seto, wait. We need to talk." He took a step back.

"About what?" The decision to be completely honest came in a matter of five seconds for Kisara.

"I'm breaking up with you." The words consumed him like an avalanche that had just collapse, but he didn't let it show. The only visible reaction that could be seen was his face turning pale.

"What?"

"Come on, you and I both know we weren't meant to be." Kisara's lips trembled as she spoke, but she didn't know why. She knew the words needed to be said and yet each word that surfaced tied another knot in her throat. The hand holding onto the doorknob was turning white, her body felt heavy, and she didn't know why it was suddenly so hard to breathe.

"Would you mind elaborating that thought?" Seto asked with his emotions turned off. He was aware that maintaining his cool was the only control he had left in the predicament he was in.

"I don't deserve you," Kisara said as she turned away, tears forming on the edges of her eyes. "I never did." A folded up piece of paper appeared from out of her back pocket but Seto couldn't turn away from watching Kisara's face as her gaze refused to meet his. He didn't know what to do except ask why.

"I'm still not sure I understand. Why do things have to end between us?"

"You broke up with me once before. You must've known we weren't meant for each other."

"Yes, we did break up, and it was a mistake I apologized for already." Seto reached for the hand holding onto the door, but she instantly pulled away along with the rest of her body. As if the mere touch of Seto had made her feel as though she were in excruciating pain. With her other hand, she held up the crumbled note to his face, creating a barrier between them. All that was printed on it was his name, and yet something about it seemed familiar.

"What is that?" Seto felt the need to ask, considering Kisara was practically shoving the note in his face, her eyes still refusing to look at his.

"Just read it," Kisara said, pushing the note into Seto's hand. He looked away from Kisara to stare down at it. Upon closer inspection, he realized what about the note seemed to be so familiar to him. Seto unfolded it, if only out of pure curiosity, and read the first couple lines on the page. Every word he read suddenly began to make more and more sense. Not because of what the text actually read, but rather the implications of what was being said. Seto didn't even finish reading the first paragraph when he looked up from the page.

"Kisara, you don't have to do this."

"Seto… it's the way things have to be. I'm sorry," Kisara stated firmly, although her words seemed strained. Seto could tell part of her didn't want to do this but on an even deeper level, he could also tell she couldn't escape. What was happening in that moment had to happen, at least that was how Kisara saw it.

"That night Mahad showed up at your dorm… you were thinking about breaking up with me, weren't you? This is the same note from that night, isn't it?" The answer to his question of 'Why?' was all being answered. It had been there the whole time and Seto just didn't realize it until then.

"Just read the note. Please. This is hard for me to do."

"It doesn't have to be. We can fix this. We can save us." Suddenly a rage awakened from within Kisara. One that had been lingering under the surface, waiting only for the right moment to emerge.

"Don't say that. You know as well as I do that there never was an 'us.'"

"What are you talking about?"

"The questions. You asked me so many questions about my relationship. You must've known that I wasn't over it. I thought I was but it was clear I wasn't. You've never known whether I truly loved you. Don't turn around and say that was really a sure thing in your mind." "What about the night you told me that you loved me? Are you telling me that was a lie?"

"I'm telling you that both of us knew better than what was said that night." Seto couldn't help but find himself getting angry—angry at Kisara for lying, angry at himself for not knowing better, angry at everything. He had never felt this amount of rage before and he didn't know what to do with himself because of it.

"I wanted to make myself a man worthy enough of your love. Are you saying that I'm not because I treat you like a decent human being? Is that what this is about? You could never love me because I didn't abuse you like he did?"

"That's not what I'm saying… that's not what this is even about! Besides, that's not what he's like. He's different now."

"A man like that never changes. I could see it in his eyes the night he showed up here. A part of you still loves him because of how he treated you. You're a coward, Kisara. You're afraid of being with someone who truly makes you happy."

"You're just mad that it wasn't you. You're used to getting everything you want. Everyone in the world falls to your feet and begs for your approval, but I'm the only person who didn't give you that. I never needed approval from someone like you," Kisara said. "I don't need anyone's approval."

"Good for you. Neither do I," Seto said, letting Kisara's letter fall to the ground. "You can keep your resignation letter. And you can keep this too. Mokuba says, 'Happy birthday.'" Seto took out a folded up envelope from his back pocket and dropped it onto the ground as well before walking away. Kisara picked up both items and brought them back into her dorm before closing the door. Both chapters were closed.

The conversation was over.

* * *

When Kisara fell asleep on the train that night, there were only two things she knew for sure. One was that everything she owned could thankfully fit into two suitcases. Another was that she had a boyfriend. It hadn't been the same boyfriend she had when Seto showed up at her dorm, but it was the same one that she had always suspected she could never get over. The phone conversation she shared with him a month prior to that moment of Seto's departure solidified that fact. Four hours earlier, Kisara had hopped on a train with him with little to no idea where they would end up next, considering she no longer had a home in Japan. So instead, out of both physical and emotional exhaustion, she slept.

"Babe, wake up. We're here." Kisara's eyes fluttered open and were met with Mahad's smiling face. She sat up and saw that she was in the backseat of a taxi which was strange, considering the last place she remembered being was a train. Mahad picked up on her confusion immediately when he responded with, "You were half asleep when we got off of the train so I doubt you remember us getting off. We've been riding this taxi for the past half hour or so."

Mahad got out of the taxi and went around back to help the driver take out the suitcases, leaving Kisara to regroup and take in her surroundings. The sky was pitch black but the streetlights illuminated enough of the city to tell where she was. Upon getting out of the car, it was clear she was in Domino City, though a different part of town than she had previously lived in. The slamming of the trunk shook Kisara and caused her to turn around just as the taxi sped off, leaving only Mahad and two suitcases behind.

"Follow me," Mahad instructed, carrying the suitcases to the entrance of an apartment complex. With no knowledge of any other place she should be, Kisara followed him without hesitation. What followed was climbing several flights of stairs before they ended up in front of an apartment door, number 584. Mahad placed the suitcases by his side and reached into his pocket. A set of keys appeared from his hand and was used to open the door. When the door opened, Mahad carried Kisara's things in, and Kisara followed once more.

The apartment looked about as empty as it did the day Kisara moved to business school. The only difference was there were more boxes than she had previously remembered packing. There was no doubt many of the boxes that filled the room were hers, however, since handwriting could be seen scribbled on the side. She silently walked around the apartment, taking in what she could from what little light a single lamp in the corner could provide. When she walked into the bedroom, she found a mattress laid out in the corner, just like the one she had before.

When Kisara was done touring the apartment, she turned to find Mahad standing behind her with his arms wide open, inviting her in for a hug. Another smile was on his face, but this one was smug—like he had won something, though Kisara didn't know what. Despite her confusion, she walked over and let him wrap his arms around her.

After kissing the top of her head, Mahad whispered, "Welcome home."

* * *

**A/N:** _Hi everyone! Happy to see me? So am I! First off, I wanna apologize for not having finished/posted the next chapter on the 14__th__ as I had planned to do so last month. A lot of things developed in the month of June that ended up making July a very busy month. I'm not going to lie, August is going to be super busy too, so I'm not entirely sure I can promise to have the next chapter posted by whatever new deadline I set myself. I will say this—I'll try and have the next chapter posted at least before the month of August is over. This was the new goal I set for myself this month after I missed the deadline. Again, sorry for the delay, but thank you for your patience and understanding. My overall goal is to have this story finished by the end of the year so we'll just have to see if I can make that happen. Either way, thank you all—readers and reviewers—for your continued support and thanks, of course, to my lovely beta reader, Caroline. She always helps me out with the most difficult of chapters. Have a wonderful rest of your day!_


	36. XXXVI

"_And all the roads we have to walk are winding,_

_And all the lights that lead us there are blinding._

_There are many things that I would like to say to you…_

_But I don't know how."_

Wonderwall by Oasis

**XXXVI**

It was 7AM when Kisara finally awoke. It wasn't the first time she had woken up that night, but it was the first time that she spotted the sun peaking through the blinds. Noting the bright orange glow against the farthest wall of the bedroom made her decide it was time to get up. Upon further inspection of her surroundings, she found a single arm draped across her chest belonging to the man she had been sharing her life with for a total of three months. It took her only a few moments to slide out from under his arms without disturbing him. It was Kisara, after all, who was the light sleeper, not Mahad.

The first stop in Kisara's morning routine was the bathroom. After flipping on the light, she walked over to the sink and grabbed the pink toothbrush from within the mirror cabinet. What caught Kisara's eye when she closed the cabinet was her own reflection. Her once bright blue eyes had been dulled by the insomnia of the past couple months. There were dark purple circles under them that made her feel as though she looked older than she actually was. However, her face wasn't the only thing that had changed in the last three months.

Her once long, silky hair that ran down the side of her back was now several inches above her shoulder. Stringy, short pieces of hair stuck out everywhere—the result of a restless night—but on a good day, she could manage to comb it into something that resembled a pixie cut. While the color of her hair remained the exact same, the shape and length of the hair was different. At one point in time, her hair had represented the changes in her life. Now, however, it seemed that brushing her hair into submission every morning was the only sense of control she had left over the changes that controlled her life.

Once she was finished in the bathroom, she wandered over to the living room where she flipped on the TV and flipped open her phone. A new message from her parents was waiting for her when the phone turned on. It had become routine that once a day she heard from them after they had become aware of the situation; the situation being that she and Seto simply weren't working out around the same time Mahad started to her talking again. It was then that they realized they never should've broken up in the first place… and that was all there was to it. At least, that's all her parents knew.

Part of it was true, Kisara had to at least admit to herself. Seto and Kisara couldn't have continued carrying on the way they were, because a lot of their relationship was based on feelings that weren't equally shared. She couldn't help but feel bad though, knowing she had broken Seto's heart the way she did. She hadn't spoken to either of the Kaiba brothers since the break up and yet she thought of them at least once each day that passed. There had been plenty of times she thought about contacting them—to apologize for what happened in hopes there could be a way of making things better—but she went against that thought every time. She knew there wasn't anything she could do.

Kisara didn't think too long about the Kaiba brothers, though, before being distracted by the mess she faced upon entering the kitchen. The state of the kitchen was only a fraction of the filth that she had been living in since moving in with Mahad. As much as she tried to clean up after him, the apartment could never stay clean for long. She felt it wasn't her place to complain about the mess considering Mahad was the one paying all the bills. The two of them were living off money Mahad had saved up previously to moving to Japan. The hope was that the money would last just long enough until they both found jobs, but so far, neither of them had any luck.

Kisara hoped coffee would cure her of the absolute exhaustion she was feeling as she walked back into the living room and sat down in front of her computer. The job searching never stopped for Kisara, but she was finding it difficult to land one having only a high school degree and a semester of business school. Nevertheless, most people were always impressed with her year of experience working at Kaiba Corp., but that was about the only thing that gave her résumé precedence over everyone else's.

"…Breaking news in the gaming industry this morning. Schroeder Corp., a company that specializes producing gaming technology related to duel monsters, has reportedly been forced to stop production as a result of recent findings from the trial against Albert Bruder. Bruder was a former employee at Kaiba Corp., Schroeder Corp.'s top competitor, and was found guilty for fraud and company espionage after evidence was found in the months leading up to the Tokyo Game Show that took place last July." Kisara looked up from her computer to find a picture of Seto and Zigfried being displayed on television.

"Although the Bruder case went to trial nearly a month ago, related stories and evidence continue to be leaked to the public, despite very little information being provided prior to the trial. While little is known about the source of the leaked stories, they have resulted in a tarnished reputation and a drastic drop in stocks for Schroeder Corp. investors. However, the Schroeder Corp. investors aren't the only ones losing confidence, as it appears Kaiba Corp. stocks have been dropping as well due to other recent events.

"Seto Kaiba, CEO of Kaiba Corp., has not been seen in public for the past three months. There have also been reports that suggest Kaiba hasn't appeared at headquarters during this time as well, which has been leading to speculation of Kaiba's involvement with the stories being leaked. In his absence, fourteen-year-old brother and vice president of Kaiba Corp., Mokuba Kaiba, has been stepping in and making public appearances in his place. The vice president was seen at a press conference earlier today that commented on Schroeder Corp.'s recent action to halt production." Kisara turned up the volume as Mokuba appeared on the screen, dressed in a suit and tie with his hair pulled back in attempt to make him look older than he actually was. Kisara felt a piece of her heart drop to her stomach, not knowing whether it was out of joy or sadness, watching the boy stand in front of hundreds of reporters shouting questions at him.

"What are your thoughts on Schroeder Corp. halting production as a result of the recent court case?" one reporter asked.

"We feel it is the right move, as it is a sign of respect and ownership of the actions taken against Kaiba Corp. many months ago. We applaud Zigfried von Schroeder for this act of good sportsmanship."

"Vice President, is this halt in production a result of an agreement you and von Schroeder came to privately?" another reporter asked.

"No agreement was made. I only acknowledge that it was the right move on his part."

"Is the plan to try and bankrupt them so that competition no longer exists between the two companies?" a third reporter asked.

"Of course not. Competition is what makes the economy strong. Our only hope is that Schroeder Corp. will now focus their time on developing their own material, rather than trying to steal from ours." It was clear, even from the other side of the television screen, that the crowd was getting more and more rambunctious. Mokuba appeared calm, though even Kisara could see the way he was holding onto the podium as if it were a shield that could protect him from the hungry reporters below.

"Vice President, how long do you plan on stepping in for Seto Kaiba? Will your brother be returning to the public eye soon? What has he been doing all this time?" There was a surge in energy amongst the crowd. More and more questions began being shouted at him as Mokuba raised his hands in the air, asking them to simmer down.

"I'm in no place to comment on my brother's whereabouts nor his plans to resume control over Kaiba Corp. Those facts will present themselves in due time. I have no further comments to give." The last that was seen of Mokuba was him walking away from the podium just as the TV switched back to the announcer from before. The picture of Seto was still present on-screen.

"It seems Seto Kaiba plans to continue his hiatus from the public for a while longer, although the reasons behind this remain to be unknown—" Suddenly the screen clicked off. Kisara twisted her head around and saw Mahad standing adjacent to her with the remote in hand. When he went to place it down on a nearby coffee table, he was met with Kisara's glaring eyes.

"I was watching that," Kisara stated with a tone of seriousness.

"Yeah, I saw. Why were you watching that crap?"

"It's a news channel, and obviously I was watching it because I care about what's going on in the world."

"You don't even want to work in the gaming industry anymore, so why do you care?"

"Just because I don't have a job doesn't mean I have to sit around and be ignorant."

"Wow, someone's in a bad mood. Did you wake up on the wrong side of the bed this morning?"

"If the side of the bed mattered, maybe then I could actually get some sleep," Kisara snapped back. Mahad was confused when he saw Kisara get up and begin gathering some of her things, throwing them into a backpack.

"Is this really about me turning off the TV or is there something else going on?" Mahad asked, eying Kisara as she closed her laptop shut and shoved it in the backpack along with the power cable for it.

"There's nothing going on; I'm just tired," Kisara said, "I'm going to the library. I can't concentrate in this place." When she was done packing, she made for the door. Before she grabbed the knob, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist from behind.

"Come on, baby. You don't have to leave. I didn't know turning off the TV would upset you this much… I'm sorry." Mahad twisted her around and tried to pull her in for a kiss. Kisara shifted her head at the last minute and dodged Mahad's oncoming face. "Don't be like that. Kiss me." Mahad was about to try for a second time, but Kisara managed to slip out from his arms and open the door.

"I gotta go. I'll be back later." Kisara didn't look back at the disgruntled Mahad standing in the doorway as she shut the door. She just didn't care that he was angry. In that moment, all she wanted to do was be free of the walls within that apartment.

* * *

Mokuba didn't want to go into Seto's office when he finally escaped the mob of reporters and returned home because he knew exactly what he'd find. Every day for the past three months had been the same; Seto locked in his room, not doing much sleeping or eating in between working. What he was working on? Mokuba only knew bits and pieces. All the boy knew was that it was his job to step in for Seto until he was over whatever kind of breakdown he was in the middle of.

As much as it pained Mokuba to see Seto this way, he forced himself into his older brother's home office, if only to check to make sure Seto was still alive. What he found was a very familiar scene; Seto passed out. Mokuba was thankful that he was at least on the couch this time instead of at his computer—the television was turned on one of the news channels, but the sound was muted. Mokuba walked over and placed a blanket over the sleeping CEO. Unfortunately, the sensation of the blanket startled Seto enough to awaken him. It hurt Mokuba to see the dulled, blue eyes staring back up at him.

It took Seto a couple moments to fully wake up before he responded with, "Mokuba, it's you."

Mokuba sighed. "I can't keep finding you like this."

Seto chose not to say anything, instead he motioned for Mokuba to give him a hand. Mokuba took hold of Seto's hand and helped him sit up. Seto's hands were frail and Mokuba could feel how many pounds had dropped off just by how light he was to pull up.

"I wanted to let you know that the story broke today."

Seto looked up.

"It did? They finally ran it?"

Mokuba dropped a newspaper into Seto's lap.

"Came out this morning. There were TV cameras at the press conference as well, so I'm guessing it probably made cable news too." Seto turned back to the muted television but not without rubbing his eyes first and smacking his face. The images on the very large screen in front of him were hard to make out and Seto knew it was because his body still needed a couple moments to wake up and function again.

"Good, good," Seto mumbled under his breath to himself. Mokuba caught his attention once more when he heard the television being clicked off.

"I'm hoping this means you'll find another way of dealing with your break-up. What you're doing has to stop."

"I won't stop until Schroeder Corp. has no reputation left. Now turn the TV back on." Mokuba crossed his arms and looked Seto right in the eye.

"No." Mokuba's answer stunned Seto for a brief moment.

"Excuse me?"

"I can't do this anymore. I refuse to sit here and watch you destroy yourself. You need to go back to Kaiba Corp. and resume control as CEO. The press keeps asking about you and some of the employees are assuming you're dead."

"Just tell them I'm not dead. It's as simple as that. And it's not like I care what the press thinks either," Seto said. "Besides, it's not time for me to go back yet. I still have more work I need to do."

"I don't think you understand; there's nothing left of Schroeder Corp. to destroy! They halted production, they're going bankrupt, what more is there left to take from them?" Mokuba asked, his voice beginning to rise. "I've tried to be supportive and sympathetic, but eventually you have to accept that it's over with Zigfried… and Kisara." The mentioning of Kisara's name seemed to send shockwaves through-out Seto's body.

"I thought I told you never to speak her name again." Seto walked right up to Mokuba, only a few inches between the two. Seto hovered over the small boy, establishing his dominance in the situation and his eyes glaring down like laser beams. Mokuba didn't flinch or recoil when Seto bent down, meeting his younger brother's eye level. "Apologize to me."

Mokuba considered responding to Seto's demand in a number of ways, but ended up with only one response.

"There's nothing more to say to you," Mokuba concluded, clenching his fists by his sides so tightly that they began to shake. He knew there was nothing that could be said to Seto to make him understand, but knowing this didn't change the hurt he felt from the situation. Instead, he made the decision to walk away.

Before exiting the room completely, Mokuba turned around one last time and said, "I know you're upset, Nii-sama… I am too. But I can't sit here and watch while you self-destruct. I just can't do that. All we have is each other and the only direction we have is forward." Mokuba didn't wait for a response. He needed to get away as quickly as possible. He didn't know where he was going when he walked out of the Kaiba Mansion.

Mokuba continued to follow his feet until he was nowhere near his home but rather the heart of Domino City. Upon recognizing his surroundings, Mokuba's pace slowed down a bit. He could feel the urge to cry coming up but tears refused to come out. His body was drenched in sweat and his feet hurt from having worn his dress shoes from the press conference that morning which didn't suit for walking long distances. Mokuba thought about sitting down and taking a rest at a nearby bus stop, but the moment he looked across the street, his eyes spotted Kisara standing opposite to him on the other side.

Mokuba almost didn't recognize her with her short hair, instead, the way she was looking at him helped identify who she was. For a few moments, the two individuals just stared at each other out of pure disbelief. Images of Seto's state flashed in Mokuba's mind after a while and it was around then that he decided to turn down the nearest alleyway behind him to run away from the strange situation he was in. Between his feelings about Seto and his feelings about seeing Kisara again after what happened, Mokuba wasn't sure he could sort out everything that was going on inside his head.

Within seconds of deciding to leave, something told Mokuba to turn back and confront Kisara. Right as he twisted around, however, a pair of hands took hold of his arms. Mokuba looked up at two burly men standing in front of him—one restraining him, and the other sending a fist into his face. The men grabbed Mokuba before he fell to the ground, and his vision was blurry as he was dragged out of the alleyway to a black car parked on the street. Before he lost consciousness completely, he saw Kisara standing in the same place, only now with her hands covering her mouth… motionless.

Then the door slammed closed and everything went black.

* * *

**A/N:** _Can anyone say EARLY UPDATE?! I know I can! Okay, okay, so it's only early by ten days but I still think it's exciting. I know you guys are probably excited! I left you guys on a bit of a cliffhanger, though I can't say this one is any less suspenseful. :P Either way, I thank you for your continued support and readership! August has already been such a crazy month and it shall only get crazier as the month progresses. I'm currently on a beach vacation but I was SO dedicated to bringing you this chapter, that I banged out an hour and a half of editing in my bikini. Hahaha, anyway, thanks for the reviews, everyone! I enjoyed them all. And, of course, a thank you to my lovely beta reader for her continued love, support, and fantastic writing background that helps sculpted these chapters into magic. When will the next chapter be up? Hopefully sooner than you think but at the latest, it will be in a month's time. Have a great rest of your day, month, and summer vacation! _


	37. XXXVII

"_We're all standing with our backs against the wall, sooner or later,_

_Waiting on a phone that never calls, at all._

_Heartbreak comes rollin' in like a storm, sooner or later,_

_Trying to swim but you're sinking like a stone, alone."_

Sooner or Later by Matt Kearny

**XXXVII**

If it had been anyone else, Seto would've been able to swallow his pride. He would've been able to pick up the phone, call Mokuba, and ask his brother to come back home. He would've apologized for being an inconsiderate jerk, and Mokuba would've joked that being a jerk was second nature to Seto, and they both would've reconciled. The problem Seto faced was the same as it had always been: his pride. Seto's pride could sometimes prove to be more powerful than his kinship with Mokuba, and it was why Seto had let Mokuba walk out the door after their fight. That was a weakness that Seto often misconstrued as a strength, even in cases in which he knew he was wrong.

Knowing he was wrong, however, wasn't the problem. The problem was admitting it, not only to the other person, but first to himself. To distract himself from the clear course of action he needed to take, Seto was watching the press release from earlier that day on his computer. He got through watching half of the video before he felt the need to pause it. It was the look in Mokuba's eyes that prevented Seto from watching the rest. Mokuba's light-gray eyes resembled nothing of the fourteen year old boy Seto had raised. The way they looked, distant and disconnected, did not belong to Mokuba. His eyes, instead, belonged to the person he was emulating… his older brother.

_"I'm in no place to comment on my brother's whereabouts nor his plans to resume control over Kaiba Corp. Those facts will present themselves in due time. I have no further comments to give."_ Seto closed his laptop, unwilling to hear more of the news report. He let himself fall back into his computer chair and stare up at the spinning fan above him. His eyes became mesmerized by the blades of the fan. Each time one of the blades cut through the light, Seto came closer and closer to realizing just how long three months really was. It had been easy for him to forget how many days and weeks had gone by while he was confined to the four corners of his room.

Seto closed his eyes after they began to hurt due to staring directly into the light. His right hand rose from the arm rest and reached for the locket around his neck. It felt cold at first, causing his fingers to retract from touching the metal. The second time around, he let his fingers wrap around the locket, warming the metal with the palm of his hand while his eyes remained closed. He didn't need to look at the photo inside the locket—he had stared at it many times before, always in situations of either desperate need, nostalgia, or both.

Seto could still remember the day he received his locket—it was given to him by Mokuba the day after he took over Kaiba Corp. The two of them had decided to take a little trip out of Domino City back to a park in the suburbs where they had grown up. The whole idea was Mokuba's and Seto smiled as he remembered sitting on the swing set that represented a part of their childhood that ended after their parents died.

"Here Nii-sama," Mokuba had said, opening his palm to reveal the small locket it contained. Seto reached out and grabbed the locket, staring at it curiously.

"What is it? A necklace?" Seto held it up to his face to get a closer look.

"It's a locket. I have one too." Seto turned to see Mokuba place a similar locket around his own neck. Mokuba smiled and gestured back toward the one in Seto's hand. "If you look inside, it has a picture of me in it… from when we were kids. Mine has a picture of you."

Seto opened the locket, interested in seeing what picture the locket contained. There were few pictures that had been taken of the boys growing up. The picture of Mokuba that was in it was from the time period where they lived at the orphanage. Before Seto could react, Mokuba placed his hand on top of the locket, causing Seto to look up. Mokuba was still smiling, giving Seto's hand a small squeeze before speaking.

"I made these for us so we would always remember where we came from and who we are to each other. That dream that we shared in the orphanage… we're living it now, but I never want us to forget what we had to do to get here." Seto placed his other hand on top of Mokuba's, looking directly into his eyes with a smile to match the one that had briefly disappeared on Mokuba's face as the boy recalled the tragedies that had led them to this point.

"I would never forget what we've been through—you should know that. It's the reason why we even came up with this dream to begin with… to have a better life." The last thing Seto remembered from that day was receiving a hug from Mokuba, one that reinforced the promise made back at the orphanage. The promise that everything they would ever do would be for each other and for moving forward.

It wasn't until Seto opened his eyes and found himself in the same empty office he was in before that he understood the depth of what Mokuba had said during their fight. Taking his anger out on Zigfried's company was his way of lingering in the past—both professionally and personally. He wasn't sure why he continued to be surprised that Mokuba was always right, but the boy tended to know better than Seto.

Knowing this, however, didn't change that it had been an hour since Seto had last seen Mokuba and the fact that Mokuba hadn't reappeared was concerning. Seto's decision not to call Mokuba was not only out of pride but also respect—if Mokuba wanted space, then he deserved that much. Nevertheless, an hour of space without any communication began stirring up a familiar feeling in the pit of his…

"Mr. Kaiba?" Seto twirled around in his office chair to find Isono standing in the doorway.

"Has Mokuba called?"

"No, sir. Unfortunately I still haven't received word from Master Mokuba," Isono replied. Seto ran his hand through his hair, thinking to himself what he should do next. It was very unlike Mokuba not to contact him, even though they were in a fight. Still, Seto expected him to at least contact Isono, just to let someone know he was okay. Seto didn't want to jump to any conclusions, but Isono's look of trepidation began to stir the emotions he was trying to contain.

"I'm assuming you haven't contacted him yourself, have you?" Seto asked, rising from his chair to do a bit of pacing in between thinking to himself.

"I have not, Mr. Kaiba. Should I contact the authorities?" Isono asked.

Seto stopped pacing and shook his head without looking up from the floor.

"No, not yet. Let's wait a while longer before we start contacting anyone."

"As you wish," Isono stated before he continued, "Oh, and I also came to inform you that there's a visitor waiting for you at the door." Seto looked up.

"A visitor? At my home? Who is it?"

"I'm not sure, sir. Shall I turn them away?" Seto rolled his eyes as he pushed past Isono to walk down to the foyer. Seto wasn't one to take visitors, especially not ones that came to his home, but in light of recent events, he had to be sure it wasn't someone important. When he opened the door, however, he wasn't sure what category the visitor fell under.

"Hey Seto," Kisara said, but the words seemed to taper off when his eyes locked with hers. Immediately following eye contact, Seto attempted to slam the door in her face, but to no avail. Her astonishment in seeing Seto in person wasn't enough to distract her from the reason she was there, so she quickly managed to throw her foot in the doorway before it closed. Seto twisted around to shoot a glare at Isono standing behind him.

"How—exactly—were you 'not sure' about who this was?" Seto hissed, his hand still firmly gripped on the doorknob.

Isono gave an apologetic bow before speaking.

"I apologize for the lie, but I felt it was necessary to give Miss Safiya a chance to speak."

"You don't have the authority to decide who gets to speak to me." While Seto was preoccupied with his conversation with Isono, Kisara took it upon herself to throw her body against the door and shove it open. Caught off-guard, Seto nearly fell over, and Isono quickly rushed to his master's aid.

"Look, I know you're angry, but I need to talk to you," Kisara said, taking hold of the door and closing it behind her. Seto regained his footing, shoving Isono away from him as he walked past Kisara.

"I'm not interested in talking to you." Seto reopened the door and gestured for Kisara to leave. "Now if you wouldn't mind, escort yourself off my property before I'm forced to call the police." Kisara's eyes didn't even acknowledge the door's existence. There was determination displayed on her face, the kind that emanated from her body and sought to be heard. Her determination was once a quality that made Seto attracted to her, but in this moment, only brought about annoyance for him.

"It's about Mokuba," she said.

"I told you already, I don't care about what you have to say. I don't want to hear what you think about my actions or how they relate to my family. I suggest you get out before…" Suddenly Seto's words seemed to escape him as Kisara brought up her hand. A small, card-shaped locket was dangling from her fingers. The mere sight of it made Seto's composure disappear.

"No…" Seto backed away from the door as he became consumed with thoughts and scenarios concerning Mokuba's whereabouts. Images of his brother being trapped in a dark room, alone and scared, flooded his mind. Isono also became shaken up when he saw what was in Kisara's hands and frantically took out his phone in response.

"I'm calling Master Mokuba but no one is picking up. If it goes to voicemail, should I contact the authorities?"

Seto snapped out of his trance and turned to Isono.

"No. Keep calling until he picks up or I say otherwise." Seto shifted his focus back to Kisara, snatching the locket from her hand. "Tell me everything you know about how you got this." Kisara opened her mouth to speak but right as she did, Seto's phone began to go off. All eyes were directed towards Seto as he frantically pulled it out and answered.

"Mokuba?!"

"Hello, Kaiba." Seto recognized the thick German accent almost instinctively.

"Zigfried?" Seto took a moment to recollect himself and hide the panic that was originally in his voice only seconds earlier before he continued. "What are you doing calling me? If you wanted to whine about the state of your company, you could've just e-mailed me like any other successful business man. Let this be a lesson to you: the next time you try to blindside me, just remember one thing—"

"…Nii-sama?" Seto's heart stopped for a brief moment.

"Mokuba? Mokuba, where are you? Are you okay?!"

"I don't know where I am but I'm—" The line went dead before Mokuba could finish and Seto's phone dropped to the floor. Kisara was about to ask what happened but seeing the look on Seto's face already gave her the answer: Mokuba was in grave danger.

* * *

"Sorry to have cut that conversation short, but I felt that was all the information that needed to be relayed," Zigfried said, tossing the phone to the ground after hanging up on Seto. Mokuba watched the device collide with the ground before looking back up at the man who was currently holding him captive. Zigfried walked away from Mokuba to a desk that was on the other side of the room. He opened the top drawer and Mokuba's heart dropped.

"If you even think about hurting me with whatever you have in there, I can't even begin to describe what my brother will do to you," Mokuba said, attempting to pull his hands out of the rope that constrained his wrists to the arm rests of the chair. It didn't help that his legs were tied as well… or that he was in, what appeared to be, an empty warehouse. Mokuba hadn't seen many horror movies, but he had seen enough to have an idea of what was coming next. His only objective was to stall long enough until Seto's arrival.

"Not to worry, Mokuba. I wouldn't dream of harming you." It was then that Zigfried turned around and revealed what he had pulled out of the desk. Instead of tools of torture, he was holding a first aid kit. Mokuba became relieved, although his mind wasn't totally at ease as Zigfried kneeled down in front of him, placing the first aid kit to the side. He clicked it open and pulled out cotton balls, bandages, and rubbing alcohol. The mere sight of these items reminded Mokuba of the throbbing pain in his head from when Zigfried's thugs knocked him out in the alleyway. Mokuba went from staring at the first aid kit to staring at Zigfried.

"What are you trying to do? Make me look nice before my brother gets here so that way he's not as pissed?"

Zigfried soaked a cotton ball in rubbing alcohol before bringing it up to Mokuba's forehead. Mokuba's face instinctively backed away. Zigfried sighed with frustration.

"There's no need for such an attitude. It wasn't by my instruction that my henchmen hurt you. I only instructed them to bring you to me, but I do apologize for them getting overzealous in the process." Again, Zigfried inched the cotton ball towards Mokuba's head and, again, Mokuba utilized what little space he had to move away. "If you're going to be like this, then fine."

Zigfried took hold of Mokuba's head, locking it in place, as he softly dabbed the cut above Mokuba's left eye. Mokuba winced with pain as Zigfried cleaned the wound but then relaxed when the bloody cotton ball was put down and bandages were brought up. Mokuba didn't resist him as he tied the bandages, but the angry glare remained.

"So what is this supposed to be, exactly? A polite kidnapping?" Mokuba spat.

"An opportunity for negotiation. Your brother refuses to talk to me face-to-face so I created the scenario for us to do so." When Zigfried was finished with the bandages, he picked up what remained on the floor and began putting it back into the first aid kit. Mokuba couldn't stand to sit there and watch Zigfried clean his wounds, like some sort of nurse, while he remained strapped to a chair like a prisoner. One act of kindness didn't cancel out an act of evil.

"You do realize that I'm strapped to a chair, right? And that your henchmen were the ones that socked me in the face? What makes you think he's going to be willing to talk to you?" Zigfried returned to the desk on the other side of the room, putting away the first aid kit and throwing away the soiled cotton balls. As restless as Mokuba felt, he tried to focus on the objective: the longer he stalled with conversation, the more time Seto had to rescue him.

"Young Mokuba, you might've been playing the role of a CEO for 3 months, but that doesn't mean you understand what it takes to be a CEO," Zigfried said, with his back still turned to Mokuba, "There are a ways to communicate in business beyond your understanding."

"This isn't business, this is kidnapping! This is against the law!"

Zigfried continued with putting away his things as he spoke. "Well, what your brother did wasn't business either. It was betrayal."

"You stole our ideas and tried to pawn them as your own to ruin our reputation!" Suddenly Zigfried turned around and Mokuba's mouth shut instantly.

There was a gun in his hands.

* * *

**A/N:** _AFTER TWO MONTHS (and seven days), IT IS FINALLY DONE! You guys have NO idea how frustrating this chapter was and it's entirely why it took me so long to finish it and post it. What happened was I actually did finish this chapter early last month and it contained most of the things that happened in this chapter, but I absolutely hated it. Turns out I hated it for all of the right reasons: it was bad… really bad. It was so bad that I had to go back to the drawing board and I spent a better part of this month contemplating giving up the story entirely. The state of the chapter was so bad, it made me feel like I was a bad writer entirely… but I stuck with it. I took a two week break, spent a lot of time walking and thinking, and then I came up with this. My beta reader, Caroline, played a big part in sculpting it to perfection (as she always does), so a big thank you goes out to her as well! As always, I hope to stay on a fairly regular update schedule (posting a chapter once per month) but ultimately my goal is to write to the best of my ability and if my chapter isn't the best it can be (like last month), it may take longer to post. Thanks, as always, for reading and reviewing! Hope you guys have a great Halloween later this week! _


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